A Few Recent Tastes L

2003 Leeuwin Estate Riesling Margaret River “Art Series.” While still transparent with good shine, it has turned to a deep amber color, time has produced many tartrate crystals as well. The nose comes across as angular, lanolin, grapefruit pith, chalk dust, oil slick, hard to find any primary fruit left. Medium-bodied, its general profile softens some here and you do get pineapple, papaya, nectarine to apple fruit flavors. The citrus more like orange marmalade but the grapefruit remains too. Seems more spicy than oily albeit there’s some of the latter too. Improves with air time and a little warming. Still, while not bad today I much preferred it on release. Figure it will hold in its current state for near future.

2019 Bedrock Regional Blend “Ode to Lucien.” Fat ruby-violet color throughout, fleshy rims. The nose is rich and wooly but doesn’t get fat, even gets arguably high-toned, the oak is showing now, solid mix of red and black berries with apple mixed in, pressed flowers, gets close to saline occasionally, right now offering more raw brawn than finesse. Full-bodied, the tannin tends to bind it up. Thus the sappiness in the cherry, red currant, blackberry fruit slows to a crawl through the finish. Flower petals, damp wool, citrus peel, tree bark. Draws back into itself through the finish. Perhaps the astringency is wood tannin yet to be resolved. Plenty of fruit but this is an uneven showing today, open to it starting to shut down. Were one to consume in the near term a decant should be worth it. 95% Mataro (Bedrock Vineyard), 5% Grenache (Gibson Ranch).

2019 Bedrock Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Monte Rosso Vineyard. Clean and unblemished, the dark purple core shifts into scarlet or a deep redder magenta towards the rims. The nose features a lot of “Zinberry” with ample menthol and lavender in reserve, subtly earthy and hints at smokiness, the oak component comes across as minimal, remains in a primary state. Lighter bodied than expected with a concomitant red fruit profile of raspberry, strawberry to apple, blueberry flavors. Here the creamy oak does pose a distraction. Nice eucalyptus laden lift. Get a bit of orange peel through the finish, arguably as acidic as tannic at this juncture. Leaves a mild tackiness behind after the finish. Kept waiting for a big punctuation mark but it didn’t come. Finding it more interesting than viscerally enjoyable.

2016 Big Basin Syrah Santa Cruz Mountains Rattlesnake Rock Vineyard. There’s a certain flatness to the purple core, in turn the rims aren’t washed out but the brick red to scarlet coloration uninspiring. Firm compactness to the nose, no wasted movement, doles out the boysenberry, blueberry, cherry fruit scents, leather, tea leaf and eucalyptus in measured doses, burst of salinity at the end. Medium-bodied, the tannin gives it a wiry feel but it’s quite smooth and harmonized throughout. Spicier than the nose suggests, maybe some wood tannin. Good purity to the blueberry, blackberry fruit. Starts out equally but the stoniness steals the mic from the florality. Finishes with a burst of tangerine to naval orange citrus. It’s wine you admire more than warm to, needs food to bring fun to the table.

2015 Pithon-Paillé Anjou Rouge “Mozaïk” (Cabernet Franc). The purple core on the dull side, the rims run from ruby to blood red, overall can’t say it shows much age, average shine. The nose equally dominated by bell pepper and maraschino cherry quality fruit scents, ripeness apparently was no issue, tobacco ash and leather fill it out more, there’s also something medicinal to briny going on but nothing close to upsetting the fruit. Light-bodied, velvety smooth and spreads fully across the palate. Only a hint of acidity at the end. Avoids flabbiness but not by that much. The fruit here falls back to the pack and it is the tobacco, stone and dry earth components which step forward. It’s probably better now than on release due to the fruit weaving in. But I wouldn’t push it much further than today or risk what balance it has being undone.

2016 Domaine Cazes Côtes du Roussillon Villages “Alter.” Dark purple core, opaque, average sized rims of scarlet to blood red, attractive surface shine. Initially the nose shows a floral mist which gets subsumed by anise, damp earth and rich plum to cassis fruit scents, not getting much oak off of it but there’s a “clean” peanut shell thing going on, not to me a sign of reduction. Anyway, in the mouth it’s full-bodied and nicely fluid and polished. Some ginger, cumin spice, orange zest, and mint. The fruit is already starting to develop a prune edge to the plum, black currant, cherry flavors. Mild astringency through the finish. No glaring flaws and offers sufficient visceral pleasure to be a decent “bistro wine.” For when people ate in bistros and all. 50% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache. (Composite Cork: Diam3)

2019 Domaine du Possible Côtes du Roussillon “Charivari” (Carignan). Liquid is clean enough but it still looks semi-translucent, ruby-violet core shading more watermelon red at the rims, pleasing surface reflectivity. The nose gets a little high-toned to funky but on the main offers ripe strawberry to raspberry fruit scents, lemon peel, mountain scrub, and dried lavender, not a lot of lifting perfume. Light-bodied, acidic and a few sips come close to volatile. Still, the overall “bite” is enjoyable and highlights the lemon and some stony earth. Saddle leather, more lavender and dare I suggest garrigues. Fruit here leaning more blueberry, as might be expected. Note written off of first glass and expect it to open up and settle down over dinner.

2019 Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette “Vieilles Vignes Sable Cuve No. 10.” Violet to a deep cranberry red, deeply hued rims, unblemished throughout. Crinkly sort of nose, you scrunch up after the first sniff, mineral dust and poor dirt, straw and meadow grasses, takes awhile to start teasing out the nicer lavender, orange peel, violets, the blackberry, cherry scents muscular and while come off as ripe it’s with minimal juiciness. In the mouth it’s full-bodied and fairly sappy, this in spite of a pretty solid tannic girdle. The citrus and minerality remain here but there’s little grassiness. The fruit spreads near and far and pushes most else out of the way, to the point where you might say it loses balance. Accents of gingerbread and clove. The fruit and the structure suggest ageability yet the lack of even hinting at other elements which might became meaningful tertiary development is worrying. Plus it’s really good right now.

2001 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Mush of scarlet rust red, blood red to light yellowing at the rims, while it shows age it doesn’t look “old.” The nose evokes dried lavender and garrigues, clove, beef blood, witch hazel, while it has cleansing power there is a decoded raisin/prune edge to the fruit scents, overall more pungent than complex. Medium-bodied, tannin planed down to fineness, acidity shows pep now and then. The relative lack of structure can make it lurch. But the primary material anchors it well, the plum, cherry, blackberry fruit overly sweet but the richness finds it lasting through the finish. Exotic spices, orange peel, lavender, molasses. All the elements are there, if it only had more freshness and spring to its step. In the end, slightly better than another bottle consumed January 2021. 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, remainder Muscardin, Vaccarese, Cinsault.

2002 Digioia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny “Vieilles Vignes.” The core is as reddish as violet now, ruby to rust red rims, a little washed, general clarity is good. Touch of sous bois at first to the nose then it’s all about the bodacious red berry to blackberry fruit, nice and spicy as well with some lavender, only real complaint is that even at only 13.0% the nose at times gets alcoholic. Medium-bodied, very suave and sappy, coats the palate fully. Any tannin appears resolved by now, acidity level comes off as so-so. Clove to ginger spice, maybe orange peel or cola too. The red cherry, raspberry to strawberry fruit juicily youthful. Finish semi-abrupt but the next sip resolves that well enough. Very credible showing for a villages wine, glad to have one left.

2020 Lapalu Beaujolais-Villages “Vieilles Vignes.” The core reaches violet but on the whole it’s cranberry red and deeply saturated throughout, a real stainer. The nose at once hints at bubblegum and barnyard dirt, eschews both in favor of raspberry, strawberry, red cherry fruit, still there’s also a campfire ash quality to it, mixed white citrus and at times a little pickle brine, all of which I find welcome. Medium to light-bodied, the tannin level is pretty darn high for the primary material. All that juicy red berry fruit joined by green apple and blueberry. The citrus starts kicking it up a notch through the finish. Tea leaf, bay leaf, trebly leafiness, all high register. Savory denouement. Well-balanced and complex without pushing it too far, blows away the 2019.

2020 Thivin Côte de Brouilly. Violet to red ruby through to magenta, infused with vivid hues throughout, fine clarity as well. The nose has a sort of meadowy, mountain scrub freshness to it, penetrating but not light, pressed straw, lavender, stony dirt, more black fruits than red, finding it somewhat evasive from sniff to sniff. Medium-bodied, sappy with abobe average cling. Here the cranberry, raspberry, cherry fruit races out to the fore, very much in a primary stage. For sturcture there’s no lack and at this point in time seems more tannic. Muted florality, lots of sour citrus. Same stony dirt found in the nose. Each part gets to say its piece but at the finish the fruit speaks last. I see this as something very ageworthy.

2019 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe. Light violet core shading to candy apple red with a patina of zinc orange, it’s not filmy but neither is it crystal clear, coloration is very pretty. Typical maraschino cherry infused nose, leather and anise, to fennel, turns blunt just when you expect it to lift some, don’t think it’s youthfully tight. Light to medium-bodied, the tannin is absolutely there but strikes me as more polished than may historically be the norm. In any event, elevates the drinkability until it ends in an astringent pucker. Strawberry, cherry fruit stunted by sour lemon and dry earth. Adequate florality. To me air didn’t budge it much. Not without its merits but on this day this bottle did not impress.

2016 Giuseppe Lisciandrello Terre Siciliane (Nerello Mascalese). Very light and transparent rust to brick red coloration, full to the rims, strong surface shine. Smells like the La Brea tar pits, ashen with some merde, takes some time but does moderate into candied cherries and raspberries, potpourri, grapefruit, and musky Indian spices. Medium-bodied, plush and yielding, finds every crevice in your palate to saturate fully. Does finish with tangy bite so there is textural contrast. Gingerbread, lemon to white grapefruit, volcanic rocks and ash, asphalt, runs a wide gamut. As it sat in the glass got more taut and biting. Rugged without being cavalier about it, could see a bunch of local old timers nodding their head in agreement. No need to push it any further down the line. (Composite Cork: Diam5)

2016 Paolino Comelli Venezia Giulia “Soffumbergo.” The core is dark purple which falls short of opacity, dusky red rust rims with no intensity loss. Well-delineated nose of leather, allspice, mukhwas, and to a lesser extent lavender, creates a nice pungency in the nostrils, the Italian plum, blackberry, boysenberry fruit not weak but content to hover in the background. Medium-bodied, here the fruit leaps out in fruit to create an attack full of ripe juiciness. So much so that it takes some time to start registering the “Refosco funk.” Saddle leather, muddy earth, light animal sweat. The baking spices and lavender persist, joined by a sweet ‘n’ sour grapefruit element. Not very tannic but there is a certain grittiness through the finish. Good all around liveliness, not going to wimp out with food while has more than enough fruit for casual sipping. 60% Merlot, 30% Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2010 Vallana Boca (library release). Rust red to orange in hue, immaculate transparency with a high level of surface shine. A tad funky upon first opening but sheds this with ease in favor of beef jerky, iodine, rose petals, and fennel, the cherry, red berry scents fall a little short of liqueur like concentration. After some thought I still consider it light-bodied, it’s just that the tannin exerts enough influence it creates a feeling of weightiness. The high degree of lemoniness comes out of left field and plays up the latent acidity. Here you do get maraschino cherry with strawberry to almost blueberry accents. Leather, rawhide type of nuances, stopping short of barnyard. Deserves ample air time to really get it going. Experience comparable to previous December 2018 bottle demonstrating a lengthy plateau. 65% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina, 15% Bonarda. (Composite Cork: Diam5)

2019 Vincent Wine Company Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Bjornson Vineyard. Light purple to the core but it’s mostly ruby to watermelon red, this without looking watery and there’s no hue loss around the rims. Strong cola bean to the nose, lavender and a waft of clove before it a little minty, basically it’s about the cola and the dark berry fruit scents, offers more staying power than pretty lift. Full-bodied, round but not soft and even tends to get bottom heavy now and then. The tannin quickly accrues after a few sips. Here the mixed white citrus gives the cola a run for its money. Plenty of vanilla bean too, seems more leesy than oaky. The blackberry, blueberry to strawberry fruit more layered than wet and juicy. Turns spicier through the finish. It’s too big to offer the finer nuances which conjure the word balanced. But it is integrated. I’d peg it as a medium term ager, same as the 2018. (Composite Cork)

2018 Goodfellow Dundee Hills Chardonnay. Healthy glow to the yellow hue, slight drop off along the rims, more brightness than the grape usually brings. The oak is not dominant in the nose, however, it has such a piercing quality that it’s hard to ignore, past the smokiness, oil slick, and lime there’s more stoniness, had to wait for it to warm up before the peach, nectarine, apple fruit scents consistently registered. Medium-bodied, linear but not angular, sufficient flesh to soften the finish. Perceptible acidity high, sharpens things to a fine point. Offers lime here too but overall I find it more lemony, and lemony in spades. High-toned buttered toast if there is such a thing. Apple, pear fruit, were it juicier close to pineapple. Needs monitoring so it is not consumed too cold nor too warm, real Goldilocks wine. (Composite Cork: Diam5)

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I wonder if the spiciness and possible wood tannin you saw in the Big Basin is from stems. The last new Big Basin I had was as stemmy as their older wines had been oaky. Always terrific balanced big fruit for me, but unclear what age will do with the then-oak, now-stems.