Some excellent bottles consumed over the last month. I'm not lising the insipid ones. If you're really interested in insipid wines, I'll keep a log for a week of wretchedness, and post that.
The pics are from NYC, all of a one-block stretch of sidewalk. Then, one of my nephew O. All completely gratuitious, I know. But I like them, even if they have nothing to do with wine.
1998 Pingus, Ribera Del Duero, Spain
The nose offers up really sweet cassis and blackberry, a slate-like minerality and surprisingly well-integrated wood. On the palate, it is a chocolate-covered plum extravaganza - with fine ripe, chalky tannins. I sense that this one has eveolved quite a bit since release as the oak and sweetness of extract are not as over-the-top as some other Pingus bottlings I've had - this one has dries aspects at the edges, and is surpisingly harmonious. I like it a lot. (4.0-nb) Thanks to R for bringing this to Creede, where we enjoyed this with buffalo steaks.
2005 Waters, Syrah, Columbia Valley
Pretty, pretty, pretty. Lovely dark fruits, cedar and smoky bacon on the nose and palate. Good mouthfeel and weight - it is not heavy, but with plenty of flavor and extract. This is drinking so beautifully, and will imrove for a year or two, but why would you want to wait? Drink 2008-2013. (3.0+nb) Full disclosure: The owners of this winery are good friends. Even so, I like their wines.
1997 Chave, Hermitage (Rouge)
Ripe, ripe ripe - loads of cassis, tobacco, licorice and the gamey bacon fat I always associate with Northern Rhône wines. There's a hint of herbes de provençe that just lights the nose up. On the palate, this is surprisingly supple, lush and friendly - this one has evolved pretty nicely and is drinking spectacularly well right now. I'm not convinced this will get significantly better. The finish is very ripe, with silky tannins and mouthfeel. Drink now-2017. (4.5nb)
2006 Rafael Palacios, "As Sortes," Valdeorras, Spain
Rafael is the youngest brother of Alvaro, the superstar winemaker of L'Ermita, Finca Dofi and Les Terasses in the Priorato. This wine is 100% Godello, a varietal native to Galicia in northwest Spain. On the palate, it has an intense condrieu-like aroma, with peach, nectarine, guava, minerals and young fino sherry. It has a complex leesy and yeasty aspect that I find just lovely. On the palate, it is long, unctuous ... wild! This is a spectacular and uncompromising wine, totally cloudy and irresitible. Drink now-2011. (4.0+) Note: The 2005 was the first of this wine I tried - and loved. The 2006 is finer, more structured and harmonious.
2003 Hubert Lignier, Morey-St.-Denis Premier Cru, Les Chaffots
Lovely earthy and red cherry nose - classic pinot noir profile, with expressive smoky and minerally fruit. On the palate, this is quite forward - definitely a hot-vintage pinot, with deep fruit (even some layered strawberry and raspberry) that pushes the earthy aspects back a bit. Still, delicious. Long sweet finish, very soft tannins. Not a long ager, but so what, this is seductive, oh yeaaaaaah. Drink now-2012. (4.0-)
nv Henri Billiot, Brut Rosé Champagne
I've adored Billiot's take-no-prisoners style of making champagne for ages, and the winemaking personality shines though in this one as well. It has lovely aromas of strawberry, red cherry and white cassis. Long berries on the tongue (Longberries ... wasn't that the name of an alien in Buckaroo Bonsai?) (I digress ...). The mouthfeel stays firm through the middle, and the mousse is well-balanced with the flavor extraction and weight. On the finish, strawberry shortcake. (4.0+)
1997 Cappellano Barolo, Otin Fiorin
The 1997 Piedmont vintage produced many light, fruity and early-drinking wines. This was the first of several really warm vintages (also 2000, 2003 and probably 2007, and to a lesser degree 1998) that many producers had never experienced - unofficially, winemakers were complaining of shriveled fruit on the wine, stuck fermentations due to high sugar levels, and a feeling that their world had been turned upside down. One very prominent winemaker apologized for his wines, saying that though they were quite delicious, they were "... neither Barolo nor Barbaresco; something different; not the wines I wanted to make." Still, some from this vintage were delicious, if atypical. This Cappellano is medium bodied and fruit driven - loads of cherry and berry flavors, but without the tar. violets and earth I expect from great Barolo. On the mouth it is very easy-drinking and has a fine, smooth finish. Drink now-2009. Interesting, but not great. (3.0-nb)
2000 Marc Hebrart, Brut Premier Cru, Champagne
Peach, nectarine, loads of nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashew), ripe ripe pears, vanilla ... toasty overtones. Long finish, with deep red pear and appealing breadiness. Some wood ageing, the oak peeks out on the palate. Very nice. (3.5+)
2000 Paolo Scavino, Barolo "Carobric," Italy
This is a nicely styled Barolo that straddles the modernist/traditionalist divide pretty successfully. The nose is a bit recalcitrant, giving up some dark fruits, mineral and dried rose petals, along with some toasty vanilla oak (not overdone). On the palate, the bright ripe fruit blends with chocolate/coffee, anise and tobacco nicely. The tannins are very ripe (2000 was a very ripe vintage, and the structure of this wine reflects that) and the acidity seems surprisingly firm, given the heat of this year. Carobic has been a personal favorite from this winery for several years and this wine is a lovely example, though not as compelling as the 1999 and 2001. (4.0-nb)
2004 El Nido, "Clio," Spain
Oaky fruit bomb. Waves of vanilla and black fruits. Chalky tannins. Long, sweet finish. The closest thing to Australian Shiraz, in terms of sheer exuberance, coming off the Iberian Peninsula. This is the perfect wine for blowing your friends' weak-assed california cabs out of the water at a blind tasting. Drink now-2014, but who wants to wait that long? This is irresistible now. (3.5+nb) Again, thanks to R for sharing this in Creede.
Nice to see you're still carrying the torch Mr Manley. Jbrown
Posted by: Jbrown | October 17, 2007 at 15:30