Over the last several weeks, we've had a couple of the little cluster of nicer white Bordeaux I picked up this winter in response to Andrea's sudden philo-Sémillism. (Sorry, sorry.) They were *much* more different from each other than I had expected, which was interesting and instructive. The first, on which I think I posted a note earlier, was a 2013 Château Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan Blanc, which was either 75/25 or 70/30 Sauvignon-Sémillon, typically aged ca. 10 months in 35% new oak; the second was a 2012 Château du Fieuzal Pessac-Léognan Blanc, about 50/50, aged ca. 16 months in 50% new oak. The Carbonnieux was a while ago now, but I remember it being piercingly crisp in a good way, mostly citrus and grass, very bright and high-toned, with a lot of concentration and richness underneath but nothing that I recall as being explicitly woody. The Fieuzal was a totally different beast, which almost seemed to have two layers: a top layer of bright, nervy citrus fruit (tending deeper, toward orange oil), and a bottom end of coconut, fresh and toasted -- and yes, I realize I'm describing some sort of pie, but it's a metaphor. I enjoyed them both a lot: it's unsurprising that I'd like the Carbonnieux, but the Fieuzal was even more intriguing because it makes me reconsider a prejudice; if the two layers of this wine integrate over time, as I suspect they can and will, given the structure of the top layer, this'll be terrific. Even now, I find it really stimulating to drink, partly because it's got enough going on to remain interesting (and vibrant rather than weighed down by its wood) for a couple of hours, and partly because it's so different from what I usually drink.
A couple of other curiosities that haven't made their way into recent notes: out to dinner recently, we were going to stick with cocktails until we saw a Porter Creek 2012 Sonoma County Rosé on the list, and being fans, we went for it, although no one at the restaurant seemed to know anything about the wine, and they had to fish around for a while to find us a bottle. (And somehow the label lacked a statement of ABV?!) According to the distributor's website, it's a Zin-Carignan blend, which required a little added yeast to finish fermentation in the Spring of 2013, and, coming off a boozy cocktail, it definitely seemed to show some RS, but the impression dried out with food. Very pale pink, none of the herbaceousness of, say, a Bandol rosé, but very pleasant fruit and a little bit of minerality. Good, but one of the more indifferent wines I've had from PC; might have been more interesting a couple of years ago, and probably should've been on the "closeout" section of the list.
Then there was a Domaine des Marnes Blanches 2014 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay "Les Molates", which was very good -- a nice mix of apple, citrus, and a little bit of tropical fruit, very fresh and not done in an oxidative style (though I like that too) -- but marred by what seemed to be a combination of sulfur and a mercaptic burnt-rubber aroma, the former of which mostly blew off but the latter of which persisted through the bottle, certainly not strong enough to prevent us from enjoying it, but strong enough to make us wish it wasn't there.
Finally, a Benanti 2013 Etna Bianco "Biancodicaselle," a basic Carricante that's about half the price of the Pietramarina at $19.00 and a very good value: a similar profile of citrus, minerals, and seashells, nicely balanced, great with food, just less intensely concentrated.