Maison Michel Picard Le Clos Micot 2005, Pommard Premier Cru, France

12 Sunday Apr 2020

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I’m afraid for this wine, the cork was very dry when I put the screw in and the sides were wet when I started to pull it out.  I only got halfway before the cork broke.  Luckily I have other tools to retrieve the broken half.  In the glass it looks okay, dark red, with no signs of bricking and barely any legs on the glass.  The nose is gorgeous, earthy, full of tertiary flavors- forest floor, mushrooms, bacon and a whiff of rich cherry compote.  The palate is sublime, smooth and a mix of fruit, acidity, those tertiary flavors and a warm mouthfeel.  The cherry component is backed up by rooibos tea, some nutmeg and leather.  This wine has aged nicely and thank goodness the cork held out.  The finish is long with a nice streak of acidity that delineates the fruity red berries from the secondary evolution that I get.  Nice ingrained tannins are holding it together but I feel it is peaking so drink till 2027 .  I am serving it with Baked Ham and mashed potatoes for Easter dinner.  93 points for this $100 Burgundian Pinot Noir.  4 stars.  Salut….

San Felice Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012 tasting #2, Tuscany, Italy

10 Friday Apr 2020

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I have sat on a few of these bottle of San Felice for a while now because they were not quite ready the last time I drank one in 2017.  This bottle is showing a semi opaque medium shade of purple in the glass.  Really nice legs are exhibited.  The nose has an earthy tone, pomegranate and cherry.  I also get cardamom.  Interesting.  The palate is far more evolved since the last time, really nice dark cherry, rhubarb and spice box. The wine exhibits a really nice acidity that is even and of the right amount.  The mouthfeel is really smooth, with a nice warmth that leads into a very delicate tannic frame.  The midpalate has more of the red fruits and some dusty earthiness.  The finish is very much a cherry affair, with the acidity and tannins really peaking into a dry, mouth puckering ending.  It’s a really delicious wine, but not quite there yet.  I am seeing evolution, with more to come.  The framework will hold this wine up for a long while, giving me time to re-evaluate over the next 10-15 years with the other bottles.  Overall I am sticking with my 93 point rating and 5 stars for this $45 Sangiovese.  Pairing with spaghetti and sausage meatballs.  Salut….

 

Molino di Sant’Antimo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014, Tuscany, Italy

06 Monday Apr 2020

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I have become more and more enamored with Brunellos and more importantly the Sangiovese grape of late.  I find it a very close parallel to Pinot Noir, which has also risen in my interest.  This particular wine is see-through and a light shade of purple.  The nose is somewhat muted but I do get some stewed cherry and not much else.The palate is quite lithe with some delicate cherry notes, a touch of cinnamon and some fruit cake.  It is very shallow on the flavor depth which makes me wonder if I have an off bottle.  The acidity is of medium strength and there are some very light tannins that appear on the mid palate.  The finish is mainly Kirsch and some mushroom, bacon and forest floor.  It gets better but I am a little surprised at the high scores from some pros versus the lower scores of others.  I am going with 88 for this particular bottle but will try another one soon to check on provenance.  Drink till 2028.  For $60 it’s a 2 star effort.  Salut….

Gioso Barolo DOCG 2015, Piedmont, Italy

06 Monday Apr 2020

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Semi opaque medium tint of purple. I get a delicious whiff of black cherry, cedar, tobacco and spice box.  On the palate the wines visual and nose bely it’s power and structure.  It has a very forward stab of fruit alongside a crescendo of tannins that present cherries, lingonberry and leather on the initial palate.  The tannins sear my gums and carry me to the midpalate of more stark red fruits and that earthy component.  The finish- dry AF, really has some juiciness to it.  The cherries are the dominant force battling the astringency.  This wine is a cherub, the tannins almost too much at this stage but I feel this wine will evolve in the next 5-10 years.  I’m going with 92 points but either decant the hell out of it or put it away for a long time.  $30 and 4 stars for this Nebbiolo.  Drink from 2024-2034.  Salut….

St. Michael-Eppan San Michele Appiano Pinot Grigio Sudtirol – Alto Adige 2018, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

06 Monday Apr 2020

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Very light shade of yellow/orange in the glass.  The nose offers spiced lemon zest, some green apples and honeysuckle.  The palate is crisp, with gobs of the green apple, some citrus and a modicum of acidity.  The mid palate softens and has a glycerin-like mouthfeel.  The green fruits are alive and well.  The tail end gives me a note of hazelnut- intriguing.  It’s rather a short finish but it is well balanced.  This wine will drink nicely till 2023 and I would pair it with salad Niçoise, herbed chicken breast or even a stir fry.  89 points and 4 stars for this $14 quaffer.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 703 Pinot Noir 2017, Alexander Valley, California

05 Sunday Apr 2020

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Nice shade of dark red, see-through.  The 14.1% alcohol evident by some nice looking legs.  On the nose it is somewhat atypical.  Violet, strawberry compote and cherry cola.  The palate is a touch sweet with some nice stewed rhubarb notes. Cherry comes along eventually as do some nice fine grained tannins.  There’s a nice acidic bite on the finish that balances it out without making me wince.  It’s a very interesting wine that has a warm mouthfeel, that nice touch of sweetness countered by the acid on the back end.  This wine will appeal to the novice and also provide tasting groups with an interesting mix of flavors.  I’m baking up some Brisket that will pair nicely.  91 points and 5 stars for this $15 bottle to drink till 2028.  Salut….

Peach Brisket, crisped to perfection

Cameron Hughes Lot 678 Pinot Noir 2017, Willamette Valley, Oregon

01 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Absolutely see-through and a very pale shade of red. The nose gives me bing cherry, wild strawberry and clove.  The palate is quite intriguing.  A muted red fruit presence with a touch of cinnamon and mushroom. Raspberries represent on the mid palate alongside rooibos tea and sour cherry.  The acidity slides in nicely, not overdone nor abrupt.  It’s a nice mouthfeel with a touch of heat on the finish.  There is a cedar component as well that I’m enjoying.  Overall it’s a decent Pinot that I’m giving 89 points.  4 stars for this $16 effort.  Salut….

Morgon Cote du Py Domaine de Robert 2018, France

01 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Bright purple and see through, typical for the Gamay grape.  On the nose it shows blueberry, spice box, violets and bramble.  The palate is very fresh and echoes the blue theme.  Nice, rounded acidity braces the mouth and the fruit transitions nicely to the mid palate.  There’s a definitive spice i’m getting- perhaps cloves?  It’s very interesting.  The wine feels like it may have a touch of tannic grip, which is good for this style- it allows brief to mid term cellaring.  The finish is decent in length with more blueberries and a dusty component.  It reminds me a little of Rioja on the back end.  Quite unique.  For $19 and 90 points, this Beaujolais Cru gets 4 stars.  A nice gift from my cousins.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

Bodegas Casa Primicia Vina Diezmo ‘GR’ Gran Reserva 2012, Rioja DOCa, Spain

01 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Moderate shade of purple and nearly opaque. I leaves long, thin legs on the glass.  The nose is raspberries, cherry and iodine.  On the palate is grips right away with acidity, masking the red fruit salad that I finally get. There’s also a rooibos tea component, calming amongst the flurry of tartness.  The mid palate is cutting, this acidity is actually bothering me.  It’s too much, without fruit to offset it or much tannic bite to balance it.  The finish is more of the same.  86 points.  A shame really as it got good reviews .  Bottle #2 is much better- less cut, more fruit. Still very tart but I will go with 88 points.  For the advertised price of $40, this is a 2 star Tempranillo.  Sorry folks, nothing to see here.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 625 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Yountville, California

27 Friday Mar 2020

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Medium shade of purple and semi-opaque in the glass.  The nose offers up strawberry and raspberry notes alongside sweet bramble, perhaps even honeysuckle.  It’s a pleasing nose for sure.  The palate is very sprite, unlike some Napa Cabs that are full throttle- this one is more seductive in its approach.  Sweet blackberry versus the red notes I got on the nose are intriguing.  There is a violet and damson streak as well.  The tannins creep in on the midpalate and I taste some charcoal as well.  More plums and a touch of acidity round it out.  The finish is quite dry but not cloying.  I am enjoying the mouthfeel and look forward to pairing it with peach baked Beef Brisket.  The acidity is going to be a good cut for the sweetness of the dish.  I am enjoying this wine and think it will cellar nicely till 2025.  90 point and 4 stars for this $24 Cab.  Salut….