Had a few interesting wines over the past week…
2011 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte - I worried that this might show some of the elevated alcohol of many other 2011’s but it was pretty much platonically Montevertine. Some critic notes boast of dark fruit profile and tobacco and my impression couldn’t be more different. I don’t taste every vintage but these wines seemingly have a Giacosa-like stability to the taste and texture. As expected, rounded red strawberry lozenge with integrated notes of orange peel and dried herbs. Fine but not structural acidity. Only needed a half-hour to get itself in shape. Day two experience was unchanged as we finished the bottle.
2017 Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu “La Chambee” - Condrieu is a delicacy I don’t often spring for although I know how good the best ones are. A flash site offered this under $40 so I figured I had nothing to lose, especially with the partnership of winemakers involved. It’s not an especially refined Condrieu but it is absolutely packed to the brim. Toffee, toasted nuts, poached fruit and just a bit of fresh peach acidity make this a cocktail-style but certainly not short on quality. Stylistically this is opulent and probably not long-lived but we have gone back pretty regularly for this and are enjoying it.
2016 Tofanelli Estate Charbono, Napa Valley - I recall a time when Charbono was getting a push to be considered a high-quality “heritage” grape but that never seems to have manifested fully. A decade ago, Tofanelli was one of the better ones and from what I understand, is the source of the top-scoring Matt Morris Charbono. During fire season I picked up a couple of these as I’d heard Tofanelli had been hit hard and the wine is really intense! To me, this tastes like a modern Ribera del Duero, with pronounced oak tones, very dark fruit and powerful, strident acidity. It is tightly coiled and really concentrated. It is a long way from readiness, I’d give it a decade.