Wine Musings Vol#77

Wine of Merit: ****+Gaja, Sperss, Barolo, nebbiolo, 1995: A masterpiece. A prime example for those that truly appreciated that pre 1996 Gaja quest for purity. In 1996 Gaja decided to forgo the Barolo appellation so that they could "improve"the wine by adding barbera and cabernet. I love those assembled wines but have a special place in my heart for the Barolo. The 1995 is a wonderful example. Deep, ponderous,black cherry liqueur enveloped in dark, bittersweet chocolate as a base note. Higher toned, almost tangy Worcestershire notes (the UK iteration made with malt vinegar, tamarind and molasses) accompany. Fantastic! The palate is still very youthful and a bit angular but delivers plenty of black fruit, minerals, liquorice and the promise of more to come. Monster finish that is somehow still deftly integrated with the rest of the wine. Tour de Force!

***++Shibumi Knoll, Buena Tierra Vineyard, RRV, Sonoma, chardonnay, 2005: Delicious. Evidently this wine got a big score (97pts) by Jim Laube recently and thus has had some talk value. I bought it awhile ago, prior to the write up, along with the wonderful cabernet (Musings vol#49). I don't know that I would offer those kinds of accolades but this sonoma chardonnay is certainly worthy. Not for the meek, this wine is all about thick, oily, linseed and buttered popcorn. Exotic, Asian spices. Candied citrus zest and meringue. Yum! The palate is perhaps not quite as unctuous and layered, though it also features lovely citrus, latte foam and a sense of minerals. The finish integrates nicely. Not Aubert or Kongsgaard complexity, structure or depth, perhaps a level just below. A lovely, low production chard that is no longer a secret. Shibumi? Shattered!

**++Mas de la Deveze, 66, Cotes du Rousillion, grenache, 2004: A romp! Solid and wonderfully artisianal. Good stuffing, red fruit, iron, white pepper, grilled meats, some garrigue. A bit rustic but in a very honest, even earnest, kind of way. Good, youthful exuberance with nice balance and integration. No noticeable presence of new wood. I am almost embarrassed to admit that this is a $8.99 garagiste purchase. A dynamite daily drinker. I understand the 2005 to be even better. Do not hate...celebrate!

**++Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Gueberschwihr, riesling, 2004: Lovely. Not as big and flamboyant as I was lead to believe. Nice, golden delicious apple, anjou pear and nectarine notes. Some clover honey-like sweetness though not overt or distracting. Thick, concentrated and viscous on the palate with a touch of tobacco, slate and a nice mineral finish that dries toward the end. A very nice wine to accompany a spicy Thai dish, or sushi.

Wine Musings LTD: My Dinner with Robb

My dinner with Robb (March 2007)

OK. Perhaps it should be OUR dinner with Robb. And Drew (Nieporent). At the Tribeca Grill. Wow. It was truly a memorable event – not only because the wines were tremendous but because it was just so great to see and hang out with everyone. I love how wine acts as an excuse for good friends (new and old) to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

Wine of Merit: ****++Zind-Humbrecht Gewurz Goldert VT 1990: In my opinion, this was not only the first served, but the best wine of the night. Ethereal. Lithe. Refreshing. Perfect sweetness. Citrus, white flowers, honey. Extremely rare –and extremely worth it.

****+Sine Qua Non “The Boot”” (also known as The Good Girl) 2000: Stunning. Flamboyant but at the same time serious. A roussanne, chardonnay, viognier mix, I think. So much going on here – almost defies description. Rich, complex, deep, long. Very special. To quote Melissa Rice, “This one should have been named the Hussy!” Voluptuous, with a come hither quality!

****Sine Qua Non, “The Hussy” 2000: Also lovely. Perhaps not quite as rich as the Boot, but equally interesting. 100% roussanne, from 2 different vineyards down in the central coast. This wine is instead very easy to describe. Warm apple pie, with cinnamon and a touch of clove. Wow. Intense aromatics and lovely mouth feel. Another winner.

****+Eric Texier, Cote Rotie Ville Vignes, 2001: Magnificent. The wine that La Chapelle hopes to make in every vintage. A true meal in a glass, with nicoise olives, tar, bacon (oy!), dark, black berry fruit, minerals…the works. The palate is wonderful and integrated, perfectly balanced, not staining and overwhelming. The wine is almost feminine and offers much more sophistication than it does brawn. A wine to look for.

***+Pax, Cuvee Keltie, Syrah, 2003: Perhaps the polar opposite of the Texier. Syrah as jet fuel. Huge, jammy, fat berry nose, with grilled meat and pepper. Tagine spices. Branche Marocian! This wine is almost a cartoon – an exaggerated representation of what syrah can be. Very Aussie in style. Lush, staining and powerful. Maybe time will coax some nuance from it –right now it is yummy but very obvious.

****++Ducru Beacalliou. St. Julien, 1982: Masterful. Perfect Bordeaux, in my opinion. Complex, nuanced red fruit, earth, cassis and cigar box. Perfect weight on the palate, long sweet finish. Surprisingly fresh for a wine made when I graduated high school. Wonderful. I could drink this wine every day and not tire of it.

****Dominus, Rutherford, 1994: One must give credit. This wine is seductive. Complex, loamy earth, red fruit, saddle leather, black truffled olive oil. Violets. More St. Emillion than Pomerol to my taste. Serious, great mouth filling wine. Still very much balanced – maturing in a wonderfully complex way. I love this wine.

***Numanthia, Toro 2003: Very nice though in difficult company. Very international in style – a recipe wine. Does Michel Rolland consult here? I bet he does. Deep color and extract. Lush, merlot like red, plumy fruit. Very showy. Thick, unctuous, palate staining wine. Long, very firm finish. I bet Parker loves this wine. A fun wine to enjoy.

***+Montevetrine, Le Pergola Torte 2003: This was a wine that was hard to evaluate. The nose was somewhat muted, offering red fruit and a focused element of anise seed, with a toasted note (mandel brot?). The palate offered more red fruit, white pepper and good minerality, though again pretty demure. Middle weight mouth feel. Very good, though perhaps better when one can focus on it a bit more.