Some un-posted notes from December onward.
Jean Marc Lafage, Cote Est, Cotes Catalanes 2011
50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Marsanne. Lustrous golden yellow. Captivating nose, with rich, exuberant, fresh tropical and stone fruits, sweet citrus, very aromatic, with honeysuckle and petrol, all with some very good stoney/mineral depth, and fat, beeswax-like notes; exotic! On the palate, sweet lemon upfront, followed by pineapple, passion fruit, and guava, with honeyed apricot/peach on the mid-palate, before a long finish of honey, orange nectar, spice (white pepper and mace), salty mineral, and a hint of stone; the whole is underlaid with notes of beeswax. Full bodied and ripe, with a fat texture, with acidity that is both citrusy and slightly steely; driven equally by its exuberant fruit and its acid tone. Simply put, wonderful stuff! Given how fresh this is at 5 years, it shouldn’t have any problem going another 5, especially under screw cap. Love it! 3.5 Stars [12/16/16]
Morgan, Cotes du Crow’s, Monterey 2011
60% Syrah, 40% Grenache. Lovely nose, rich but graceful and delicate, with blackberry, currants, smoked game, perfumey dried roses, and sage, with hints of tobacco leaf, olive, chocolate, and stoney earth. Same notes on the palate, with the addition of abundant red plum notes; some mature glycerin and gamey notes. Medium bodied, rich but so juicy and elegant, with fantastic acid tone, and a nice, slightly spicy texture; lovely aromatics. You could easily mistake this for a Cotes-du-Rhone. Rather mature at this point, but in a very nice place. I like it very much. 3.5 Stars [12/30/16]
Treveri, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Columbia Valley NV
Light platinum yellow. Nose is very nice but subtle, with pear, orange rind, celery, and cashews. Rich Rich pears, apples, and orange upfront on the palate, followed by a touch of pineapple, lemon, celery, all with notes of toast, citrusy/steely acidity, and lots of mineral, with a touch of blood orange and honey on the finish. Medium-full bodied, bright and juicy, with a rich, somewhat creamy texture. I like this very much. Drink now. 3 Stars. [12/31/16]
Montpellier, Zinfandel, Old Vine, California 2012
Medium ruby with hints of purple. Rich, sweet nose of raspberry jam, tobacco leaf, wood smoke, spice, and earth, with a good, juicy tone. Similar notes on the palate, with boysenberry, blackberry jam, a hint of juicy red plum, a green tobacco leaf note, chocolatey earth, spice, and a touch of mineral. Full bodied with ripe, lush fruit, but with really good acid tone keeping things in balance. The quality is very good, and there is a respectable sense of depth. I like this quite a lot; great match for stuff off the grill. Drink now. 2.5 Stars [1/1/17]
Chateau La Cassidouce, Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux 2010
Dark ruby. Excellent nose, dried black berry and meaty black cherry/currants, some fleshy red plum, with notes of cedar, cured tobacco leaf, leather, and rich, chocolatey earth, all with a graceful touch of oak, and a hint of aromatic violets/roses; dense and rich but with excellent tone, very 2010; as it opens, an increasingly lovely combination of rich earth tones and graceful aromatics. Identical notes on the palate, with lush, rich fruit, dense mineral notes, and wonderful accentuated fruit and aromatics, and abundant, spicy tannin on a finish with good length. Full bodied, with fantastic succulent texture, and fantastic acid tone keeping everything in exceptional balance. Quite lovely, very satisfying, and absolutely outstanding for the $11 price tag. 5 solid years ahead, perhaps up to 8. 3.5 Stars [1/5/17]
RJ Vinedos, Reunion, Torrontes, Salta (Argentina) 2012
Nice color, a rich, pure yellow. Excellent nose of citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit, loads of pepper, and floral tones. Similar notes on the palate; a driving vein of lime/citrus starts upfront and carries through to the finish, with ripe pear and a touch of kiwi upfront followed by slightly honeyed stone fruits, then papaya and other tropicals, all with a hint of floral honey/nectar, with tons of peppercorns throughout, and loads of salty mineral. Rich, fleshy and quite spicy in texture, and powerful in body. Given how fresh and potent this is at 5 years old, and given that it is under screw cap, I would not be at all surprised to see this age well for 5 - 10 more years. 3 Stars [1/20/17]
Gerard Bertrand, Cuvee Thomas Jefferson, Brut Rose, Cremant de Limoux 2013
70% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir, 15% Chenin Blanc. Nice color, pale corral. Excellent nose, very rich fruit, lots of toast and loads of mineral; excellent depth. On the palate, very substantial cherry notes upfront, lots of deep blood orange notes, bittersweet marmalade, honeyed peaches, toast, and loads of mineral. Full bodied with excellent texture and presence, very rich but with a sweet-tart edge balancing all; even though this is a Brut, this is so rich that I wonder if it is actually completely dry. Persistent bubbles to the very bottom of the bottle. This is amongst the more impressive sparklers I've had recently. Infinitely food friendly too! 5 to 7 years more. 3.5 Stars [2/17/17]