Met with a few friends yesterday at 2 p.m. to share wines from anywhere. In the reverse order of tasting:
2014 Domaine de Bellene Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir
Balanced and even with lovely light fruit, no sign of age. Very good.
2010 Château Dassault St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend
In latter stages of decay.
2005 Château Saint-André Corbin St. Georges-St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend
Not just necrotic, DEAD. (What's with the St. Georges?)
2008 Force Majeure Vintners Collaboration Series I Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain Bordeaux Blend
Bourbon nose with heavy, monster fruit, a travesty. Surprised, as this isn't typical of the vintage or the winemaking of Ben Smith on other FM bottlings I've enjoyed.
2019 WeatherEye Vineyards Syrah Estate Red Mountain
This bottle froze during shipping and the cork, slightly protruded, force the capsule off but on the palate there's no sign of damage. Decanted an hour before service, it seemed simplistic though pleasant and lacked the complexity and energy encountered on Days Two and Three of bottle I opened one year ago. This is a wine to wait for, it's not ready now.
2012 Fall Line Winery Red Willow Vineyard Yakima Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
The last CT reviewer didn't find this had a lot of depth, but those who tasted this yesterday would not agree. In a really good place right now, this Bordeaux Blend (36 CF, 18 PV, 35 Mer, 11 CS) was bright, herbal/spicy and layered without the heavy baggage of many WA '12s. Sadly, this is one of the wineries that didn't survive the recent downturn.
2023 Constant Crush Wine Limited Addition Red Crush Willamette Valley Red Blend
This vintage consists of around 40% each Trousseau and Pinot Noir and the rest is Gamay. Served it blind but impressively one in the group correctly identified it as a Jura blend--the only surprise being that it's Oregon. Will settle down with further cellaring but fresh and vibrant red fruits with complex layering made serious fun for now.
2022 Echolands Winery Groundswell Taggart Estate Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
A right bank wannabe from one of Washington's more interesting new wineries. 64% Cab Franc with the rest about half and half merlot and CS. Oddly the CF doesn't show at all and the merlot's out in front, but it's bright and lithe on the palate in good ways, and the 14% alcohol doesn't show.
2017 Remy Nodin Cornas Les Eygas Syrah
Black currant, red-flesh plum, herbs, roses, subtle spice. Smooth tannins nicely integrate for a great palate presence. Fantastic.
2019 Domaine Faury Syrah L'ArtZélé Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
Roasted meat, beef boullion and canned tomato but on the light side for a Rhone syrah. Needs time--and protein.
2016 Annona Aglianico Paestum IGT
Earthy, leathery, little to no fruit, gritty tannins. Eh.
2025 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay
A not so serious contribution by Vic. This was surprisingly tolerable, especially considering that it followed the wonderful Deiss pinot.
2023 Marcel Deiss Rouge Alsace Pinot Noir
Tim's, opened two days previous. Rapturously spicy nose with rustic yet slippery tannins on the complex fruit mid-palate, which sounds contradictory, but we all agreed on it. Loved this.
2024 Kuentz-Bas Pinot Gris Alsace
Pear fruit and low acid with a sweetish finish. To be fair it had been opened and partially consumed the night before and this might be a sophomore problem, but as it was there was no substance evident on Day 2. Especially after the Spatlese:
2016 Markus Molitor Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese (White Capsule) Mosel Saar Ruwer
Apricot, lime, tangy, 11%, on the dry side of spatleses with a very lightly pine needle note on the finish, though you have to look for it. Very good.
2021 Domaine Lafage Cuvée Centenaire Côtes du Roussillon Grenache Blend
Rich, full bodied, stone fruit, and ripe sweetness on the finish. Very good.
2014 Matteo Correggia Roero Arneis La Val Dei Preti
Bart's bottle. Never had an aged Arneis before, but this one makes the case for hanging on. Pretty nose with seashell minerality and herbs. Great depth. Lucky Bart has two more.
2020 Gaja Langhe Alteni di Brassica Langhe DOC Sauvignon Blanc
Opened and tasted this over two months ago, and it was fizzy. I put a stopper in it and stuck it in the refrigerator where it's been for over two months. Had no idea what it would be like when I shared it with friends yesterday. But it was magnificent. No fizz, and if anything all that waiting allowed it to develop more depth and resonance. A real treat.
2022 Mildiani Rkatsiteli Kakheti
A pale, lean dry white with floral and citrus notes.
And from over the weekend:
2024 Domaine des Pothiers la colline en flamme Côte Roannaise Gamay
Restaurant BTG pour. I have yet to have a Loire Gamay that moved me in the way its cousins from nearby Beaujolais can, and this didn't change that. It tasted okay if a tad too primary, and texturally it lacked finesse.
2024 Stirm Calcite Cienega Valley White Blend
Restaurant BTG pour. Med + body and structure with impressive minerality from perhaps the most unusual wine origin in California--Palm Springs is only an hour away. Very good.
2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Contender Walla Walla Valley
Decanted two hours. Showed red fruit overshadowed by green olives and fennel and barely medium bodied. Didn't hate, but disappointing compared to the many other Reynvaans I've enjoyed.