Some accumulated notes, Cappellano, Breton, Arterberry-Maresh, etc.

  • 2010 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Gehrts Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (5/6/2021)
    Still a youthful, translucent ruby, fading to rose at the rim. No hint of orange or amber creeping in. Lovely nose, dominated by earth and spice, with underlying red fruits, mostly cranberry and a bit of cherry/raspberry. Lovely mouthfeel. Reflective of 2010, it’s leaner than your typical Oregon Pinot. Terrific wine that would be very hard to pick out of a burgundy lineup. I’m not sure anyone consistently does it better in the Willamette Valley. (91 pts.)

  • 2014 Christophe Blanc Condrieu Les Vallins - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu (5/4/2021)
    I’m not sure what to make of this. When I opened it, I thought it must be oxidized, as the color is halfway between a dark gold and amber. The nose is kind of goofy. A bit of marzipan, some quince and maybe dried apricot. Funny thing is it doesn’t taste over the hill. It has good acidity and some richness. Held up over 3 days. Definitely not what I’m looking for in a 7 year old Condrieu, but still worth drinking. (87 pts.)

  • 2016 Clos du Joncuas Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (5/3/2021)
    I don’t drink much Rhone, and even less Southern Rhone, but I have a smattering of bottles from Clos du Joncuas, mainly because (a) Chambers Street, who I trust, likes it; and (b) Rimmerman, who is local, imports it. Score one for both Chambers and Garagiste, because this is really, really good. It smells like Southern France. Lots of wild herbs mingling with black and red pie fruits. If you care about grip, this has it. And just a perfect match with grilled lamb burgers. (91 pts.)

  • 2011 Elena Fucci Aglianico del Vulture Titolo - Italy, Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture (5/1/2021)
    Almost New World in its weight and intensity. Purplish red at the rim, opaque and nearly black at the center. Still very primary on the nose, with brambly purple and black fruit notes dominating. Fruit is pronounced on the mouth, but it’s very well structured, with a lovely, strong finish that calls you back. Years to go, but a very pleasant youthful drink right now. (92 pts.)

  • 2002 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (4/28/2021)
    The first Loire red I really loved was a 2002 Breton Chinon Las Picasses, so I go into this with some fond feelings and high expectations. This was a recent library release purchase from Envoyer, so not certain about the provenance.

On opening, it shows a classic Bourgueil nose, with muted red fruits and a bit of herbal and green tobacco notes. Taste is a bit shrill and acidic right off the bat, though it was just a tad above cellar temperature. As it warmed in temp, it also warmed in flavor and texture, until the palate smoothed out and matched the nose. From then on, including night two, it was a true joy, with a perfect balance of herbal fruit and acid and the kind of velvety texture that I normally equate with well-aged Olga Raffault. The kind of wine that spoils you for anything else when you reach the end of the bottle. (93 pts.)

  • 2018 Oltretorrente Timorasso Colli Tortonesi Derthona - Italy, Piedmont, Colli Tortonesi (3/26/2021)
    Judgment reserved. This seems to have all the stuffing, but it is nowhere close to being ready to drink. Sharp and a bit shrill. I will let the other bottles sit for at least 2-3 years. (88 pts.)

  • 2017 Cantine del Castello di Conti Colline Novaresi Spanna - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Colline Novaresi (3/24/2021)
    A Rimessa/Roscioli wine club selection. I was a bit worried a 2017 would be a bit sharp still, but this proved to be just what I needed to wash away the vestiges of a greasy burger. Sight is a clear, somewhat darker shade of red. Nose is just lovely. Bit of red fruit, mostly cranberry, but the dominant note is a foresty mint/menthol. Palate is lean, with a clean finish that calls you back. Night 2, the fruit has fleshed out and is more rounded, which cherry notes. Very nice and I bet it will improve in the next 5-10 years. (91 pts.)

  • 2012 Frank Cornelissen Contadino 10 - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (12/2/2020)
    Back of the bottle says 2012 and it’s Free Run import, so pretty sure that’s Rimmerman. Always the first question for a Cornelissen: is it clean? For this bottle, yes. Maybe a touch of VA, but not enough to count as a flaw. Pure Etna red fruits, crunchy acid and just a touch of bitter in the tang. Really, really drinkable tonight and a perfect, lively match with an authentic meat lasagna from Via Rosa. (90 pts.)

  • 2013 Julien Pilon St. Joseph “Dimanche a lima” - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (12/2/2020)
    Gold, verging just a bit towards amber. Picking up in richness, but still fresh with good acidity. In the sweet spot of its drinking window. (90 pts.)

  • 2005 Château Franc Grace-Dieu - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (11/22/2020)
    Bought on release and stored in a 54 degree cellar. Immediately open and inviting on a pop and pour. Mostly cassis and red fruits. Good acid. No noticeable oak. Ready and drinking very well. Perfect match with grilled prime NY steaks. Just checked. I paid $12.97 for this. That is ridiculous. (91 pts.)

  • 2011 Azienda Agricola Cos Cerasuolo di Vittoria Delle Fontane - Italy, Sicily, Cerasuolo di Vittoria (10/29/2020)
    Last of 4 bottles bought on release and stored in 56 degree cellar. 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato. Drank over 4 nights with Coravin on night 1. Perfumed red and black fruits, with a bit of a baked pie character. Some savory notes add complexity. Tart and grippy with good mouthfeel and a long finish that calls you back. Hits the sweet spot for me with the fruit/acid balance. Still has years to go, I would think. (93 pts.)

  • 2013 Monteraponi Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (8/26/2020)
    Bought on release and stored at 56 degrees. A Burgundian style Chianti–elegant, aromatic and acid driven. Also Burgundian in the sense that it seems completely shut down on the palate. Nose remains expressive, with red fruits and wood spice. But it’s all structure in the mouth and just not a pleasant drink now. I will let my remaining bottles sit for 3-5 years before opening the next one. (89 pts.)

  • 1993 Roagna Barolo Riserva La Rocca e La Pira - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (8/22/2020)
    Not sure where I got this, so no info on provenance. Opened, decanted and then returned to bottle for about 60 minutes before pouring. Color shows dark and fairly deep. At first the tannins dominated, but after about 4 hours the fruit started to emerge. It never gained the complexity you’d hope for and was pretty four square. (89 pts.)

  • 2011 Palazzina Le Macioche Brunello di Montalcino Le Macioche - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (8/17/2020)
    Definitely on the elegant, red-fruited end of the spectrum. The wood is still not fully integrated, but it’s getting there. Should be in its sweet spot in 2-3 years. Very nice. (91 pts.)

  • 2015 Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino Stilema - Italy, Campania, Fiano di Avellino DOCG (8/17/2020)
    This is probably a wine to hold right now. It’s a perfectly good Fiano, but lacks the extra gear of young, fragrant fruit charm that the best examples of the variety show. And it’s too young for the added weight and complexity that time should bring. I’m going to sit on my remaining bottles and check in again about 5 years from now. (89 pts.)
  • 2010 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (8/14/2020)
    This may be one of those wines that never shuts down. Still primary and powerful, with lovely red fruits and, for my tastes, a nearly perfect balance of tang and grip. The finish is a little clipped, but hard to tell if that will prove to be a cap on how good this gets, or whether it’s just partially muted now. This is drinking better now than the 2008 or the 2011. Years to go. (93 pts.)

  • 2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (7/26/2020)
    Great, great bottle. Hue is about halfway to orange. Good saturation to the rim. Wildly aromatic. Like walking into a tea shop in the 1970s Haight. Very good after a short decant, but just explodes when paired with lamb ragout caramelle pasta and grilled American Wagyu Ribeye cap. Bought on release and stored at 56. In the drinking window. (97 pts.)

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That’s a nice group of wines I might like to drink myself…well, except for the Titolo. I had a bottle of that from the early Aughts which turned me off modern aglianico.

They think a lot of Elena Fucci in Basilicata. We were in a restaurant in Matera that had an amazlng collection of Aglianico del Vulture verticals from about a dozen local producers, including the Elena Fucci back to 2002. The older Titolos were double or triple the prices of her peers. We opted for a more rustic choice, but their sommelier was a big fan of Elena Fucci.