Roederer Estate “25th Anniversary” Brut (Anderson Valley) – A reliable performer. This version tastes a little more like a balance between ripe chardonnay stone-fruitiness and deeper, redder pinot tones (usually, the wine leans towards its red grapes), and gives the impression of more fatness than it actually possesses; the finish ends up being quite balanced. (9/08)
October 2008
I want to live, I want to give
Edmunds St. John 2007 “Heart of Gold” (El Dorado County) – Very cranky when opened, not showing any of the fun fruit, structure, or aromatics I expect. Damaged? Probably not, given the source; perhaps just a weird bottle. (9/08)
Hillau, I love you, won’t you tell me your name?
Hillau “Domaine Etxegaraya” 2002 Irouleguy (Southwest France) – Dying, thanks to a synthetic cork. I wish I’d thought to open this sooner. I won’t make that mistake with the other three bottles. *grumble* (9/08)
VT day
Faller “Domaine Weinbach” 1994 Gewurztraminer “Vendanges Tardives” (Alsace) – Heady spiced lychee with light skin tannin. Very intense, as befits the house style, but the structure is considering abandoning this wine; while it will certainly maintain richness for many years (perhaps decades) to come, I’d consider drinking it soon for maximum balance. (6/08)
Schwach the monkey
Bernard Schwach “Domaine du Moulin de Dusenbach” 2004 Riesling Schlossberg (Alsace) – Piercing, high-minded and treble-toned minerality comes off the wine in flakes. Long and really, really good. (6/08)
Jessey’s girl
Jessey “Domaine du Closel” 1997 Savennières Moelleux “Cuvée Isa” (Loire) – Quite literally smells like garbage. The palate is chalky and rough, with a mineralistic aspect, and while the wine comes off as dry there’s a thickness that can only come from the sugar. However, the wine is so utterly aromatically repellent that only the nasally-challenged could even contemplate actually putting it in their mouth. (6/08)
Wehlen’ up
JJ Prüm 1995 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 08 96 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Carries the lithe lightness of a kabinett, with the power of its full pradikat held in reserve. Gorgeous balance. But it’s an infant. An embryo. (6/08)
How Green is my Valley?
Alesia 2006 Pinot Noir (Green Valley) – Gorgeous and complex, bringing dark berries forth in a vivid essence. Pure and long. Yow. (6/08)
Where are Q and Moneypenny?
Trimbach 2003 Riesling “Cuvée M” (Alsace) – Really intense, with a silk-and-satin texture, and coiled minerality within. That anyone could produce a wine of this poise in 2003 is baffling; that a winery that could is Trimbach is completely unsurprising. (6/08)
Welk
Féraud “Domaine du Pégau” 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Laurence” (Rhône) – Gorgeous, if shockingly young, with thickly-layered tannin. Needs to return to its rest for a while. (6/08)