Some First Half of June TNs

Here are a few notes from our bottles the first half of June. I left out repeats from previous months (yes, we drink a lot of Brana) and some that just aren’t that interesting at this point. Who needs a note on yet another bottle of solid, delicious '86 Rausan-Segla or another lovely '91 Guigal La Mouline? :slight_smile:

Thanks for reading,
Sarah


  • 2012 G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d’Asti (6/21/2020)
    There’s one time one time only that I crave a moscato d’asti and that’s when Jonathan makes a strawberry almond tarte. Today, we had both on the deck with my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law for Fathers Day. It was probably more vibrant a couple of years ago, but the extra gave it some additional almond notes which went even better with the tarte. At 5.5% alcohol, it felt weightless, even on a warm day outside. I advise everyone to reach for this when eating strawberry desserts of all sorts.
  • 1996 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (6/20/2020)
    Decanted for 30 minutes and served in Riedel vinum burg stems. Gorgeous light gold color, vibrant and shining in the glass. If it’s possible to tell from the way a wine looks that it will taste great, then this one did. Nose was a solid blast to the senses - not a lot of fresh fruit, but some marzipan, lemon cream, fresh crushed tarragon, some flinty minerals, some petrol. The palate made me think of that quote from The Girl Hunt Ballet - it “came at me in sections…more curves than a scenic railway.” It kept unfolding, offering more and more, there was something new around every corner. Very rich, but light feeling in the mouth, and somehow kept feeling chilled even after it warmed to room temp. I kept some in my glass until way later in the evening and, while I can’t say the best sip was the last, it was still darn good at every sip along the way. We got a good one here for sure. Why, oh why, couldn’t they all be this way? What a loss.
  • 2015 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier Höhen-Sülzen Riesling - Germany, Rheinhessen (6/18/2020)
    Our first from a case of these and so glad we pulled one! I gave it about 30 minutes in the decanter - an experiment as I usually don’t decant young Riesling - then served in Zalto Universal stems. Very compelling nose with tropical fruit, toasted bread, a slight yeasty note and grapefruit peel, slightly bitter. The mouthfeel was dynamite. Excellent concentration, intense electric feel on the tongue. Very complex and showing great persistence, made you want to swirl it around in your mouth to see what else it could show. I loved the acid level, right in my sweet spot. This stood up quite well to pork chops rubbed with a paste of mustard, curry powder and sherry vinegar. Loved it. Right up there with Keller von der Fels in terms of quality for the price, and that’s a high compliment from me!
  • 2016 Weltner Rödelseer Schwanleite Scheurebe trocken - Germany, Franken (6/18/2020)
    Add a little grilled pork and this wine could have been sauce for Vietnamese food. Kidding, of course, but there was a ton of kaffir lime, ginger and tamarind and even some guava, which I am not sure they have in Vietnam, but it still tastes tropical. This wine makes it on the aromatics, as the palate is nice and zippy, with plenty of acid, but not a whole lot of stuffing. For warm weather drinking, though, it really works. I don’t mean to imply it’s boring, because it isn’t. It’s just not demanding of attention or very detailed. Extremely fun to drink, and to share with someone who hadn’t had anything quite like it before.
  • 2016 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (6/17/2020)
    Showed quite tropical, with a bit of watery mid-palate that Riesling often gets during its more awkward phases - or when it’s just not all that great, but I don’t think that’s the case here at all. There’s an electric sense to it, like all the energy of barely vibrating molecules. I would guess another few years will open that vibration up. Right now its showing as fine, but a bit dumb. I’m not in the camp of “every wine that doesn’t show well probably needs more time,” but in this case I think it’s true.
  • 2013 Proprietà Sperino Uvaggio - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Coste della Sesia (6/14/2020)
    I forgot we had a case of these (well, a case minus 1) and was a little unsure of how they might have developed. I needn’t have worried in the least. Opened about 20 minutes before serving in Riedel vinum Bordeaux stems, as we’ve had some with a little VA in the past and I find burg stems can exacerbate that. The nose was a little shy at first, but got going quickly with only 10 - 15 minutes. Both nose and palate showed extremely bright red cherry fruit, a little herbaceous and some gingerbread that I quite liked. The medium body belies a solid mouthfeel. Acid was perfect for me, and a good foil for the rich fatty capon. The herbaceousness brought out the tarragon used in the sauce for the bird in a great way. An easy drinker, need terribly deep, yes, but not a simple wine. There’s great value here.
  • 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne (6/13/2020)
    Haven’t opened one of these since 2017, so when my stepson turned 11 and asked for champagne (he gets only a sip or two), I reached for this. Served well chilled in GGG stems. Stupendous nose right out of the gate, even while a little too cold. Beautiful crisp apple notes, and a great background of pastry and a touch of almond cream. Balance was spot on, the acid was lively and the mousse in a perfect place for me. More delicate than powerful, but with great depth and a long, warm finish. Every sip made me shake my head or raise my eyebrows at how well this is showing right now. I bought two parcels of '04 Comtes, and this one was a Premier Cru bottle! I tend to find my bottles from the UK show better, but I can’t imagine it getting much better than this. A gorgeous Comtes de Champagne.
  • 2007 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (6/12/2020)
    My last one of these was a few years ago and the extra time has made quite a difference. The 07 is currently very expressive with an upfront hit of nebbiolo character that keeps right on going throughout. This will never be a powerhouse, but it’s got plenty of personality, a nice weight, bright acid, and a makes an exciting journey over the tongue. In a charming place right now and for a while to come I’m sure.
  • NV Olivier Horiot Champagne Métisse Noirs et Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne (6/10/2020)
    Another 2.5 months of sitting in the cellar since arriving from France have done wonders for this wine. Much more balanced and now showing the cut of the zero dosage. Elegant and harmonious. Fruit is still quite sweet, some apple notes and sitting at a good place between fresh and bright and some more confectionary notes. Jonathan found the bubbles a bit coarse, but he almost always finds that to be the case in grower champagne that isn’t Diebolt Prestige. I found the mousse to be quite delicate and not too aggressive. Though it made a good aperitif, it was also quite nice with salad as I finished my glass at the beginning of dinner. Really a nice bottle and an excellent value.

Posted from CellarTracker

I always enjoy this wine and would make it a yearly purchase if I could find it every year. Even off years are like you described, perhaps not deep, but a great food wine. Thanks for your comments.

It’s a great value and a delightful wine. I’ve been told it had gotten even better starting around the 2015 vintage, with new effort put forth in both the vineyard and the winery.

Thanks for these notes. I haven’t had the 2007 Vallana Boca a few years either and thought it needed time then. So good to hear it’s coming around. I have only a couple bottles but maybe it’s time to drink one.

And great note on the ‘04 Comte. My favorite since ‘95. I get that same feeling you convey whenever I have it, every sip thinking: wow, is it really this good?