Most of these notes are ‘Busman’s Holiday’ notes from the Holiday tasting of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. I was there selling my own wines and it was busy, but I stole some time at the end to taste some highlights. Notes are brief and scores imprecise. With few exceptions, I did not taste the ‘biggest’ (read – most expensive) wines. If I had more than a picogram of brains, I would have arranged to stay overnight and tasted and learned a lot more, but I drove back to Virginia, cursing my idiocy. Notes on a few other fine wines are included.
2008 Clendenen Family Vineyards Chardonnay ‘Le Bon Climat’ – This has great power allied with finesse. The tropical fruit is balanced by some nice apple. I do not like butter in Chardonnay and that is a minus here, along with significant oak, but the oak is integrated. Kudos to the winery for releasing this at what is probably full maturity, although I’m confident it will hold peak for ~2 years. Rated 91.5.
2011 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley – Fine intense aromas of red cherries are the highlight here. The palate is light, fresh and pleasant and reprises the aromas, but the lightness makes it almost evanescent, ie, a little short. This is a good wine, but more akin to a very good Bourgogne Rouge than the sometimes majestic bottlings I’ve had from this producer. Rated 89.
2010 Black Kite Pinot Noir Anderson Valley ‘Kite’s Rest’ – WOW! I had never heard of this producer. This is black fruit Pinot Noir at a very high level, with raspberries in harmony with cherries. It is no more than medium in body, but the intensity of fruit and flavors is exceptional. There is glycerine galore but zero weight. This is opulent and light-footed at the same time, a testament to subtlety in Pinot Noir. Go figure. Go buy! I will. Rated 95.5.
2009 Sky Mount Veeder Zinfandel – Aromas are thankfully subtle. This is redolent of red raspberries with a palate of well polished briars, a subtle pleasure of Zinfandel that should improve gently for 5+ years. Rated about 91, up to 2 points of improvement likely.
2010 Chateau Montelena 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon – All Hand are On Board for a classic Napa Cabernet. The aromas have the currants, spice and cedar. The eucalyptus oddly shows only on the palate, but not much and not obtrusive. The oak is integrated. This is surprisingly fine and forward, basically ready to drink. PA sells it for fifty bucks and that is a good value today for fine classic Napa Cabernet. Rated 92.0, should improve a few points over 10 years.
2010 Chateau Palmer – This is a blockbuster, but closed as Fort Knox. It roars Cabernet Sauvignon even though I know there has to be a lot of Merlot in the blend. The aromas are redolent of red currant and blueberry. On the palate, the full-throttle power is cloaked in tannins with the fruits now tending toward things very black. Everything is in place, but anybody opening this before 2030 is committing a Serious Crime. Rated 91 today, up to 5 points of improvement inevitable.
2009 Chateau Palmer – Another blockbuster, but very accessible in contrast. This sings Merlot, amazingly different from the 2010. Even though blueberry is the predominate aroma, with lead pencil, this somehow seems like a red fruit wine, with an opulence absent in the 2010. Rated 94 now, up to 5 points of improvement possible.
NV Champagne Moutard Grande Cuvee [commercial post – I sold this wine for a few years about 20 years ago] – Aromas redolent of Pinot Noir, balanced, quite yeasty, showing some age and secondary flavors, but still quite fresh. The PLCB is selling this for $27 and it is an incredible value. If you love Champagne and have both a budget and access to the PLCB stores, this is your go-to Champagne for the holiday season. I compete with them, dammit! Rated about 92.5.
2005 La Spinetta Barbaresco ‘Gallina’ – This is a polished rendition, with aromas featuring loads of roses and a lot of earth, with some minerality. There is also red plummy fruit, but subdued. The palate offers fine intensity in harmony with very vivid acidity complementing red fruits (cherries, with a hint of strawberry, plums absent on the palate). This is young and not yet well knitted. Rated 89 now, up to 4 points of improvement possible.
2010 Ramey Russian River Chardonnay – Aromas offer ripe pear and some minerality. The palate is nicely textured and rich with a hint of apple as well as pear. However there is a good bit of candied tropical fruit and the wine is also quite buttery. This is a very well crafted wine, but not in a style I really enjoy. Rated 85.
2012 Yves Cuilleron Marsanne VdP Collines Rhodanienne – You don’t see many stand-alone Marsannes. You would if there were more like this. Flowers and earth are the primary aromas with pear and peach under. The palate is rich but invigorating, the earthiness comes through in the flavors but without the dirty sense that sometimes accompanies it. The balance is excellent, the finish long. Rated 92, might improve but I would drink it now.
2008 Chaleur Estate white – This offers excellent aromas of fresh-mown grass and beeswax, an intriguing combination. There are also flowery notes and of course plenty of fruit. On the palate this has both opulence and balance, with flowers and quince. The Semillon component shows through with waxy, earthy flavors and excellent richness. This is thankfully devoid of grapefruit. This is an hommage to the great dry whites of Bordeaux, but few of those can match this quality, certainly not at sane prices. Rated 93, drink now or hold a few years.
2006 Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico – The aromas feature red plums, black cherries and some nice earthiness. All of these follow through on the palate, which is exceptionally rich and dense. This is excellent wine, the power is unusual for a Chianti Classico, but everything is in harmony; the power comes as a welcome surprise. The finish is a little shorter than the intensity of the palate lead me to expect, but this remains truly fine. Rated 94, could improve a point or more over the next 5+ years as additional subtleties develop.
Dan Kravitz