Mainly reds taken out of the cellar now, in the winter. Lots of WA wines too, for some reason, perhaps because of a visit there for the first time in 5 or so years. Had a quick visit to Santa Barbera region as well, but didn't take any notes. My main takeaway from that trip is that Au Bon Climat had great wines at great prices and Industrial eats in Buelton is very quirky and has outstanding food!
- 2004 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club Brut - France, Champagne (2020-03-06)
Agree with other recent notes, this is a well aged, ready to go wine that offers a nutty, toasty, well integrated nose and palate; the bubbles are starting to fade. Lovely wine! (A-) - 2008 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva Rocca Guicciarda - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2020-02-22)
Hazy note from several days ago. This was drinking well, with a mix of nice red fruits, good concentration, earthy notes, healthy acid, and nice tannins that give this ripe, rich wine structure. (B/B+) - 2014 Château de Lancyre Pic St. Loup Vieilles Vignes - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Pic St. Loup (2020-02-22)
This vintage seemed rather green and herbal. Not sure if it’s just ina phase, or just picked a little early. But this wasn’t up to every other vintage I have tried of this usually very consistent wine. (B-/B) - 2009 Dominique Piron Brouilly Domaine de Combiaty - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (2020-02-17)
Hazy notes from a few days ago. I thought I'd give this 10 year old Brouilly a spin. A nice nose with mainly red fruits and a hint of minerality. The light to medium bodied, silky palate had similar flavours, although there were also some darker fruits there too: perhaps just a touch of overripe fruit? But certainly not Southern Rhone-like ripeness. Easy to drink, simple and reasonable QPR. (B/B+) - 2009 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (2020-02-14)
Still quite deep in colour, with a classic nose of blackfruits, cedar and a hint of mint. At 10 years, the wine has settled down a bit, with the tannins well incorporated. There was a touch of harshness - from added acid, perhaps? - on the palate that I found a little off putting. (B/B+) - 2010 Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (2020-02-04)
Still very deep in colour, with only slight bricking. There's a moderately powerful nose filled with blackfruits, tobacco and a hint of mint. Medium to full bodied on the velvety, concentrated palate, with good structure wrapped around more blackfruit, earth, black cherry and tobacco. There is very good purity and concentration of fruit as well as structure here. Drinking well still, and it could still go at least 10 years: it has continued to improve over the past four years. I really enjoyed this again: excellent QPR! (A-/A) - 2011 Januik Merlot Klipsun Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (2020-01-31)
Dark in colour with a little bricking. There's a lovely nose of iron, redfruits and earth. Medium bodied on the smooth, velvety palate, but there's still tannins left to give it some heft. More redfruits (plums in particular) and a hint of milk chocolate and mint (the first night). This has changed quite a bit from when I first tasted it, and I like both variations. Very tasty and very Red Mountain. (A-) - 2008 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (2020-01-29)
My previous tasting note holds: deep in colour, blackfruits, dark cherry, black licorice and tar on the nose, and these flow into the medium-full bodied palate. There's a slightly creamy texture but still enough ripe tannins to give it considerable structure as well. A very solid WA cab that still seems fairly youthful. (A-) - 2015 Aquilini Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (2020-01-26) The Aquilini family surprised everyone by buying up up considerable acreage on Red Mountain. I don't their vines are ready yet, but they have released a small amount of wine from (I think) other Red Mtn vineyards. This cab is very dark in colour, with blackfruits and graphite in the only moderately intense nose. There is fruit on the full bodied palate (blackfruits and boysenberry), a touch of oak, but this wine is all about the tannins: there are powerful but tasty tannins that pervade the wine now. I'd hold for at least 5 years, but I think this wine will really be something when it's ready. Glad to have one more (A-)[/i]
- 2012 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Æolian Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (2020-01-17)
This seems to have picked up some weight compared to the bottle I had 3-4 years ago. Fairly light in colour, but powerful on the medium to full bodied palate, with deep cherries, earth and healthy tannins. My last bottle, but this is still evolving - wait if you can, although it is drinking nicely now. (A-/A) - 2005 Domaine Lorenzon Mercurey 1er Cru Champs Martin - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru (2020-01-13)
The colour is youthful, deep ruby with just a little bricking. Strawberries, cherries and a hint of earth and cinnamon on the lightish to moderate nose. Medium bodied, velvety palate with more red fruits, earth and asian spices. Nothing fancy, but a solid pinot in a good place. It hasn't reached its apogee yet - no rush. (B+) - 2006 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Éloge - USA, California, Napa Valley (2020-01-08)
A wine in celebration of a sad day. My oldest cousin passed today, and as he helped introduce me to Napa wines, I reminisced over this wine. He lived in San Francisco in the late 80s and early 90s, and hosted my wife and I on a couple of trips there. These were the first visits to Napa - before it became an overblown, elitist caricature of itself - that really ignited my wine journey. This wine is classy and distinguished, just like my cousin, but not as ebullient as he due to its age. Rocknroller nailed the description of this wine to me - a mix of red and black fruits, showing both elegance and power and secondary notes including tobacco, clove, earthy and cedar notes and lovely tannins. A great wine to honour a great cousin. (A) - 2007 Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2020-01-07)
Drinking really well now. The disparate parts of the wine have all melded together to create a complex, tasty riesling. The fruit was in the stone fruit realm, with some pineapple thrown in. Not a huge amount of acidity, but the fusion of fruit and acid was still very nice. Fairly rich, with a long off dry to sweet finish. (A-) - 2004 Signorello Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (2019-12-02)
Hazy notes from a couple of days back. I wondered if I left this too long in the cellar, but it was still going strong. Classic cab blackfruits and cedar, medium bodied on the palate, velvety texture, with just a touch too much oak for me. Tannins are ripe but present, in a good way. Very nice overall. (A-) - 2011 Januik Red Wine Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (2019-11-19)
From the second night open. I have found most Januik single vineyard cabernets a little too plush and oaked for my palate. This was a pleasant surprise: this wines speaks more of structure and restraint. There is a mix of blackfruits and redfruits, iron and a slight herbal note on the very nice nose. The medium to full bodied palate has a similar profile and a relative leanness for a WA and Januik (mainly) cab, with good, ripe structure and good acidity that helps create the long finish. Very glad to have one left. Very nice now, but should last too. (A-)
