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tasting notes

Pascole’s law

[rectorie coume pascole]Parcé Frères “Domaine de la Rectorie” 2003 Collioure Coume Pascole (Roussillon) — Dead soy out of the gate, but with air and time it blossoms. Tannin still overwhelms (2003 effect), but the wine’s hefty enough that it’s less deformative than in cooler regions. Eventually, it’s all about smoke on sunburnt soil and shriveled, desiccated grapes. Not as “elegant” as the wines can be in the context of their appellation, but then that’s still the year. Drink now, but give it a good decant first. (8/16)

Just one more thing…

[pieropan recioto]Pieropan 2007 Recioto di Soave Classico “Le Colombare” (Veneto) — Sweet cloudberries, crystalline minerality, finely honed acidity. A beautiful, beautiful dessert wine. Like drinking the palest most tranparent gold. (9/16)

Up in yer Grille

[brun fleurie grille midi]JP Brun “Terres Dorées” 2009 Fleurie Grille Midi (Beaujolais) — In contrast to a surprisingly dead regular 2009 Fleurie (probably just a bad bottle), this was singing a beautiful, jaunty little tune. Flawlessly ripe fruit, some spice, plenty of life and light. Delicious, and one of the best 2009s I’ve tasted at this stage of their lives. (9/16)

Put a Hefeabzug in your ear

[nikolaihof hefeabzug]Nikolaihof 2001 Grüner Veltliner Hefeabzug (Wachau) — The dangers of pop-and-pour: the first taste, straight out of the neck, portended oxidation and weakness. After fifteen minutes, however, this was singing. Not full-throttle — it no longer has that much gas — but in pure, clear tones. Minerality, fossilized vegetation, plenty of nerve…and, surprise!…a lot of fun to drink. It disappears very, very quickly. (9/16)

Still butterfly

[dashe grenache blanc]Dashe 2014 Grenache Blanc Monarch Mine (Sierra Foothills) — My adoration for Dashe is so wide-ranging that I’m surprised just how boring I find this wine. Maybe time will help? There’s nothing at all wrong with it…perhaps a touch of heat, but nothing unmanageable…but it just sits there; grenache blanc in weight and palate density but not in aromatics. One of the more surprising, even absurd, conclusions I’ve come to over the years is that Paso Robles — quite possibly the least interesting region in California for my palate and preferences — is the source of the most interesting grenache blanc. And yes, I include France in that tally. (9/16)

Screamin’ Pajé Hawkins

[roagna pajé]Roagna 1999 Barbaresco Pajé (Piedmont) — This takes an half-hour or so to unwind, and then improves steadily for well over an hour; I’m sure it would have continued, but the recipients of such beauty were greedy consumers. Dried flowers, dried bark, faint woodsmoke upon a parched sunrise. Fullness with delicacy, hardness with yield. A lovely, lovely wine. (7/16)

Made by Cori’s daughter

[corison]Corison 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) — Advancing more quickly than I’d have guessed, though it’s still far from home. All the dust and minerality one could want, with fine-grained wood seamlessly integrated with tobacco and dark particulate fruit. Lovely and balanced, as Corison almost always is. (7/16)