TNs: Some Recent Reds (Bachelet, Rion, Colin, Ferrando, Cavallotto)

We made some particularly red wine friendly meals over the last few days and opened some fun bottles to accompany.

• 2004 Ferrando Carema White Label (Etichetta Bianca) - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Carema (11/6/2021)
  Based on our last bottle, we opened and decanted this an hour or so before dinner. Served in Riedel Vinum burg stems. It had been standing up a few days and poured crystal clear with just a bit of sediment mostly caked along the side. At first there were some strong fecal notes, but by the time I poured they had completely blown off. In the glass, immediately expressive nose of black cherries, some licorice and savory herbs like rosemary and sage. Medium bodied, excellent balance with lively acidity. As it evolved some celery notes came out which were very enjoyable. It was a terrific match with a roasted capon thigh and some sauteed mushrooms, but less good when the food was gone, coming across as a little attenuated without the richness of the food. Small criticism, though - this is a delicious wine just entering an adult phase. Shows you what rewards are there for those patient enough to wait, and clever enough to cellar even the “lesser” wines.
• 2014 Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (11/6/2021)
  Oh man I love this wine. I’ve loved it since my first bottle out of this case, and now I only have 2 left. I hope I can keep my hands off them, because this is going places for sure. It’s only a step down from Barolo - makes sense since they didn’t classify anything in 2014, to my knowledge, and the class shows. There’s power and elegance here, way above the level of most langhe nebbiolo. Much darker and more serious than the Produttori, which we also buy and enjoy. Despite how stacked this is, it is still totally slurpable. I should buy this ever year. While not every year is as good as this one, I’ve never had one where I didn’t wish I’d bought more. Darn good juice.
• 2003 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (11/5/2021)
  Based on the last bottle of this I had in 2017, I gave it only a brief decant before serving in Riedel Vinum burg stems. Color was much darker than I expected, and nicely saturated throughout. On the nose, brambly black fruits, plums, a bit pine-y, touch of mint, some more developed elements, but nothing at all roasted or overdone. First sip struck me as pretty classic Gevrey, a little rustic, well integrated, perhaps a touch woody (not oaky, just a little dry), nothing standing out. The fruit is dark cherry and blackberry, not stewed at all. I would never have called this as an '03 blind, as it wasn’t particularly ripe let alone over ripe. The typical Bachelet restraint seems to have mitigated the vintage’s less appealing elements. I quite liked this. I don’t doubt it will hold here for a while, but the touch of dryness to the fruit makes me think perhaps it’s not going to develop into something more impressive. I’ll drink my other few bottles in the next 5 years, I’d guess. Also a very good match with leftover coq au vin, which should surprise exactly no one.
• 2002 Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon Marc Colin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru (11/4/2021)
  Decanted about an hour and served in Grassl Cru stems at a cool room temperature. The nose explodes out of the glass - no gentle wafting here! - tantalizing with sweet dark berry fruit, sous bois, gingerbread, some crushed herbs, potpourri, a touch of burnt orange. On the palate, it’s seamless and pure, ripe but not candied. The somewhat watery mid-palate of the bottle consumed a year ago has totally filled in - I’m inclined to think that was a result of the recent shipment that one endured - and the wine is fully fleshed out. Good weight and meatiness, with elegant structure and a lingering finish. Great showing. Loved seeing Jeb Dunnuck’s recent note, which is pretty much in line with mine. This was a fantastic match with coq au vin, especially with the lardons! I loved drinking this, couldn’t keep my hands off of it long enough to know what another hour would have done. Oh well!
• 2005 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Hauts Pruliers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (11/4/2021)
  Decanted nearly 2 hours, served in Grassl Cru stems next to the '02 Hospice Mazis. Much brighter and lighter than the Mazis, quite pretty red fruits, vibrant and bouncy, especially nice feel in the mouth. No sign of the pipe tobacco from last bottle, this one was all about new sun-warmed leather and red fruits. There’s definitely some earthiness and a bit of bumpiness - no, more nubbiness. This is not smooth or elegant, but it is exceptionally pleasing to drink and brings out quiet different elements in the coq au vin - where the Mazis and the bacon were fooling around in a corner, this was flirting unabashedly with the mushrooms and the onions. I really like how this wine is coming along

Posted from CellarTracker

Thinking about the “good old days” when the Carema was $30.

Can’t remember the last time I had a disappointing Cavallotto.

Great notes thanks Sarah. The Langhe Nebbiolos really nicely show the potential of the grape in the right hands. I haven’t had the Cavallotto but there are so many well made examples.

I was delighted to find a bottle of the 2010 for less than $30 in 2016. Opened earlier this year and it was horribly corked. Karma? Pride goeth before the fall?

Cruel.

“Great deal!”

“Oh sh**!”

My last Cavolotto was a great promising Bricco Boschis 2015, in september 2021. Time is needed.

I also found excellent the Etichetta Bianca 2008 (in 2012), 2011 (in 2015, twice).
Really lovely offered wines when young … fresh fruit, flowers, spices, camphor (cardamom), graphit … you might nearly be in Chambolle or Châteauneuf (Rayas).
You need to buy at least 6 bottles because it is really difficult to wait.

Waiting is part of the enjoyment. I bought 2 cases of this 2004 on release and only opened my first bottle in 2017.

Did you buy the Etichetta Nera ?

Yes.

That’s great.

glad your 02 Mazis filled out. I misjudged that one. As for 03, I’ve seen a few notes that the vintage surprises to the upside. I’ll have to try something. Can’t lose w coq au vin—add your recipe notes to my thread on it.

I was lucky enough to cross an amazingly great Rousseau Clos St-Jacques 2003 in 2011, 2016 then 2017. A strange ripe vintage …

In 2020, unfortunately, a flawed Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin VV 2009. The evolution of this vintage would have been interesting too.

Great notes, as always. I’m just wondering… how on earth is Ferrando’s Etichetta Bianca a “lesser wine”? Compared to what? And in what way exactly? I am reminded of a quote from some old book (sorry, I forget which) that goes something like this: “Is this wine ‘world class’? Sorry, no idea. What I do know, though, is that there is nothing else to compare it to”.

Yes… nearly. Shame about that, isn’t it?

Tvrtko - you’ll notice I put the word lesser in quotes. That generally means the writer disagrees with the term as used. I don’t think it is lesser, but there is a certain perception that it is because the black label is more expensive and rare. Also there’s an overall, to me mistaken, notion that Alto Piemonte wines are not as serious or great as their cousins to the south.

To sum up, I also believe this is a fine, age worthy wine, contrary to some judgments. That was exactly my point, as shown by the quotes.

“Nearly” addresses the fragility of blind tasting … not the quality of the wine.
Sorry for the possible misunderstanding.

Carema is a misknown appellation (even more misknown than “Haut-Piémont”) and Ferrando is the only domain to produce it (except the cooperative). This Etichetta Bianca (pure nebbiolo) is an arachnid unexpensive wonder, that I only know quite young, when it is brilliant (why wait ?). And I hope it can age.
I have less experience with the Etichetta Nera.

Bianca : culture en Pergola sur sols morainiques, fermentation en cuve inox, macération de dix jours, élevage de 30 mois en grands foudres
Nera : élaborée dans les meilleurs millésimes à partir des meilleurs raisins, élevage de deux ans en barriques puis une année en bouteille

I have had the white label back to '62, which I believe may have been the first vintage. It’s fantastic.

It sounds great

Sarah, quotes not just noted, but clearly quoted, so to speak , and understood. My point was kind of rhetorical. As for the actual wines (including Alto Piemonte), I think we’re very much on the same page.