Author Archives: caspernick

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

30 Wednesday Jun 2021

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One of this week’s assignements for my wine course is to discuss and taste a Burgundy. Here goes:

I have selected a 1er Cru wine to taste from the Côte D’Or.  Located in Savigny-Lès-Beaune, the Vergelesses vineyard is southeast facing with a gentle slope.  The wine is a Pinot Noir that has been vinified with wild yeasts having been hand picked and cultivated without chemicals.  It has been aged for 18 months in French oak barrels.  

The Pinot Noir grape is notoriously difficult to grow and produce quality wine, it requires a lot of attention and is susceptible to disease and rot.  It has a difficult time ripening and needs a cool to moderate climate.  Situated in the central part of Burgundy, this vineyard gets the right weather and with the aspect being southeast, it gets the maximum sunshine ensuring full ripeness.  The gently slope allows some extra degree of sunshine for the grapes as well as good drainage.   

Hand picking the ripe berries makes for a more uniform selection of grapes and raises the overall quality whilst the use of French oak barrels adds complexity, which is compounded by the use of wild yeasts.  

Jean Féry & Fils Savigny-Lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses 2010, France 13% ABV

  • Appearance- Clear, pale garnet with watery legs.
  • Nose- Pronounced aromas of red cherry, redcurrant, stewed fruit, clove and smoke.  Developing.
  • Palate- Dry, high acidity, medium (-) tannin, medium alcohol, medium (-) body, medium intensity flavors of red cherry, strawberry, redcurrant, smoke, prune. The finish is medium (+).
  • Conclusion- A very good wine that can be drunk now but has potential for aging.

Ps. This is the second 1er Cru I have opened this week that I think is too young, even at 10+ years.  I really like the way this one is developing, the tertiary flavors are starting to come out.  I have two more bottles to sit on and watch the evolution over the next 5 years or so.

So, I am going with 92 points and for $50, this is a great deal on semi-aged Burgundy that gets 5 stars from me. Salut….

Domaine Bernard Serveau Les Sentiers 2009, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France

29 Tuesday Jun 2021

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I have been sitting on this Pinot for many years, letting it age gracefully. The time has come as I needed to taste a Burgundy for my wine course. Here are the technicalities:

Appearance- Pale garnet with watery legs.

Nose- Medium intensity, aromas of dried cherry, strawberry, mushroom, forest floor, Rooibos Tea and truffle.  Fully developed

Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, medium (-) tannin, medium alcohol, medium (-) body, medium (+) flavor intensity, long finish.  Flavors of cherry, strawberry, Rooibos tea, forest floor.

Quality- very good with potential for more aging.

In layman’s terms, this is a delicious yet young 1er Cru Burgundy. I enjoyed it more as the night went along but could not help but feel a tinge of regret, opening it probably 5 years too soon. I was hoping for many more tertiary notes, a little less tannin. I can only guess at the cost- $75? It gets 92 points from me and is a 5 star effort in the Burgundy minefield of red wine. Paired with grilled Rack of Lamb. I wish I had another bouteille…. Drink from 2025-2030. Salut….

Bodegas Balbas Ardal Seleccion Especial Reserva 2010 revisited, Ribera del Duero, Spain

27 Sunday Jun 2021

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I have had this wine before and raved about it. Now, three years later, it has evolved- still amazing, yet different. I love it when the label tells you exactly what’s going on here, 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for 24 months. This wine runs a hefty 14.5% alcohol by volume. It is pale ruby in the glass but I was expecting a little more opaqueness. The nose is gorgeous. Luscious oak, blackberry, black currant, cinnamon, tobacco, cedar and a whiff of heat. The legs are literally falling down the sides of the glass. The palate is stunning- rich fruit enveloped in copious yet refined oak, aged beautifully with tertiary notes starting to come through whilst the primary fruit and secondary notes are still very much in force. The spiciness of this wine replaces the usual dusty component that I get from Spanish Reservas. I’m not upset as I love this flavor profile. At 11 years of age it is still young and promises to last another 10 to 15 years. It will develop nicely and gain more tertiary notes with time. Punctuated acidity is going to hold the wine really well as are the very well integrated tannins. I’m loving it. 93 points at the very least. For $20, it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars. Salut….

Cakebread Cellars Annahala Ranch Pinot Noir 2018, Anderson Valley, California

26 Saturday Jun 2021

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My buddy Keef and I sat out on the patio last night and enjoyed this Cali Pinot. It was medium ruby in the glass with a medium intensity nose of funk, steeped cherry, lavender and blueberry.  Definitely not your typical Pinot nose, Old or New world. The palate is more raspberry and cherry. The funk does persist on the mid palate though.  The acidity is medium (-), and there are very fine grained tannins lurking.  The lack of primal fruit and the overwhelming funk is a bit strange to me.  It’s a very young wine to have started it’s transition by shedding primary fruit.  87 points from me and 2 stars for this $56 bottling. Salut….

J. Moreau & Fils Chablis 2019, Burgundy, France

26 Saturday Jun 2021

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I was looking for a steely Chardonnay to pair with Pork Tomahawk ribs, this Chablis happened to be on sale so I thought I was on to a winner….. It was tasty, sure, but not exactly what I was hoping for. It runs a pale gold in the glass with big legs. On the nose it is not very pronounced. I get lemon, quince, green apple, pineapple, passion fruit and iodine. The palate is slightly more intense, dry and quite acidic. I was looking forward to that part- the cut. Unfortunately the wine was actually a bit too big-bodied for my needs. It lacked the flinty minerality and only offered a touch of saline. The alcohol was evident BTW. If you want an un-oaked Chardy that is actually very tasty, this one can be had for $25. It gets 88 points from me with a drink now rec. 3 stars. Salut….

Chateau Guiraud 2015, Sauternes, France

24 Thursday Jun 2021

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We enjoyed this classic Sauternes dessert wine whilst watching 48 hours, a classic wine paired with a classic movie. I have drunk the 2006 on several occasions, this later vintage is just as scrumptious. Detailed notes were not taken, just a brief impression. Pale gold.  Pronounced nose of peach, apricot, honey, orange marmalade and candied citrus peel. Sweet, luscious and viscous with honeyed orange peel, stone fruits and almonds on the palate.  Simply delicious.  Medium acidity and loads of body make for a gorgeous mouthfeel. This wine is young and will develop nicely till 2040.  A stunner that runs $ 28- 93 points and 5 stars for a treat! Lovely at youth, it will age gracefully. Salut….

Guardians Saperavi 2018, Kakheti, Georgian Republic

22 Tuesday Jun 2021

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I have never tried this grape variety (Saperavi) and in my research found out that it is a red skinned grape that also has red juice. This is not typical as most red grapes have clear juice. This bottle hails from Georgia, the birthplace of wine so they tell me. It is paler than I thought it would be but a lovely shade of ruby in the glass. At 12.5% ABV I was not expecting much in the legs department either. The nose is bright and airy with cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and believe it or not- a touch of alcohol. The palate is off-dry, with just a hint of sweetness. I like it- goes with the light and fruity nose. It is very lithe yet has a nice acidic crunch. Cherry, cedar and sour strawberry all lead me to think this could be a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. It’s unique and delightful. The tannins are very gentle and caressing, with a decent length finish. I am really enjoying this wine which I picked to pair with Pork Tenderloin. I think it’s delicacy will go well with the mild white meat. 88 points from me for this $13 find that gets 4 stars. Try it if you can find it, it’s gonna be a great summer sundowner. Salut….

Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Puente Alto, Chile

22 Tuesday Jun 2021

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I took two of my boys out for a delayed Father’s Day feast at the local Brazilian steak house. Seeing as it was a Monday they had South American wines half off. I could not resist ordering this somewhat young vintage of Don Melchor- an elixir that opened my eyes to fine wine many moons ago. I took abbreviated notes but suffice to say, this wine has consistently garnered high scores for its depth of flavor, structure and silky smooth approach. I just finished a twenty year tasting of three cases of the 2020, the last few years were sublime. This 2016, at barely 5 years of age is still primal, yet the pieces are all there for it to evolve gracefully.

Nearly inky in the glass this wine has thick legs and a big nose.  I get telltale mint, blackberry, plum, iodine, grippy tannins, medium acidity and a long finish.  Soft mouthfeel.  Very balanced. 92 points and for a retail price of $100 it’s a big purchase, but worth it for the patient drinker who can lay it down for a few more years and enjoy it in a mature phase. I can guarantee that it will morph with tertiary flavors emerging, they always do with this wine. 5 stars, because I’m biased. The steak house offerings were the perfect pairing btw. Salut….

Marques de Caceres Crianza 2007, Rioja DOCa, Spain

20 Sunday Jun 2021

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If you read my previous post on the Guillaume Pinot Noir, this Rioja is the second bottle we tasted. Like the Pinot, this one has suffered some severe cork damage to the point where I had to drain the wine through a hole in the middle of the cork and filter it into a decanter. Having said that it’s drinking beautifully and is full of tertiary flavors with a little bit of primal fruit left alongside fully melded tannins. Leather, game, steeped plum and cinnamon stick are all present. Typical for Rioja Tempranillo this one has a dusty component to go alongside the flavors of dried fruit and sage. I love Crianza’s from Spain, the oak influence is always well done and delicious. This brand is always consistent with a good reason; decently priced wines that apparently have good cellaring capacity even if stored incorrectly. 90 points for this $12 bottle make it an absolute steal. Salut….

Vignoble Guillaume Pinot Noir 2009, IGP Franche-Comte, France

20 Sunday Jun 2021

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My friend Arty was tidying up her office last week and stumbled upon three bottles of wine that had been left over from various functions. They were all standing upright and at least 8-14 years old. I promised to dispose of them for her, so last night we sampled two of the three. I started out with this Pinot Noir from France. The bottle suffered from severe cork failure. However- this entry level Pinot is actually holding up quite well in the glass. It is showing a touch of bricking, a Garnet color and it’s see-through with a bit of sediment. The nose gives me stewed plums, cherries and strawberry. There is a hay component that I’m finding very interesting but it’s mostly cooked fruit which signifies it’s plateau of maturity. The tannins are fully integrated at this point and there is a modicum of acidity that gives me a little bite at the finish. I’m surprised this one has made it so long but it’s a drink now situation. Overall 91 points and kudos to the winemaker for crafting such a pleasurable mature Vin de Pays. Surprisingly it only runs 12.5% abv, a relative lightweight! Newer vintages will cost $18, making this wine a steal worthy of 5 stars. Salut….