Domaine Pierre Usseglio has become one of the finest producers of Chateauneuf du Pape over the past several years with their top end Mon Aueil and Deux Freres cuvees among the highest scoring and most expensive wines of the appellation. Thus, when I found their 2006 Cotes du Rhone in a local store, I was eager to try it.
The wine is not cheap for a Cotes du Rhone, coming in closer to Beaucastel's Coudoulet than others like Guigal. But it certainly brings a lot of quality - not quite to the level of mistaking it for a Chateauneuf du Pape, though certainly a bit more complex than most Cotes du Rhones. I certainly enjoyed the wine, but I'm not sure I'd highly recommend it due to the much higher price than many other very good Cotes du Rhones (this wine was about $23 compared to about $12 for many very good wines from the region).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
2004 Tenimenti Angelini San Leonino Chianti Classico
Angelini was a booth where we spent a great deal of time at VinItaly, and I came away impressed at the wide array of wines that the winery produces, from simple inexpensive wines to top-quality Brunello. On the lower end is the San Leonino Chianti Classico, though it is by no means a poor wine. With 2004 being a superb vintage in Chianti (and Tuscany as a whole) it's definitely worth trying most any wine from a quality producer.
The wine wasn't anything I would consider as world-class, but it really had no flaws. It was the perfect mid-week, reasonably priced, food-friendly wine. I drank it over a few nights with consistent notes, and for $16 had no complaints at all. Good producer + exceptional vintage means a fine value that I'd recommend to anyone.
The wine wasn't anything I would consider as world-class, but it really had no flaws. It was the perfect mid-week, reasonably priced, food-friendly wine. I drank it over a few nights with consistent notes, and for $16 had no complaints at all. Good producer + exceptional vintage means a fine value that I'd recommend to anyone.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Weekend with my parents
My parents came to Atlanta this past weekend as we celebrated my nephew's 2nd birthday, but it also meant two nights full of great wines. Since they had flown up, my Dad didn't bring anything from home so we had to head out around town to find plenty of choices for the weekend ranging from easy quaffers to some serious wines for dinner. I won't go through everything (perhaps because I can't remember all of them) but instead touch on the highlights.
Friday night's best among the pre-dinner choices was the 2006 Collosorbo Rosso di Montalcino. Dad and I tasted many 2006 Rossos at Vinitaly, so we knew the potential of the vintage. This wine did not disappoint, with gobs of jammy fruit exploding out of the glass both on the nose and then in the tasting. I had never actually had anything from this producer, but I was certainly impressed.
Friday night's dinner wine was the 2002 Tommaso Bussola BG Amarone. Since 02 was a generally poor vintage in Veneto (as with most of Italy), Bussola only bottled one Amarone (as opposed to three in good vintages). With such severe selection, he was able to craft a wonderful Amarone, available at a decent price (well, decent for suc quality as it was still $55). I certainly plan to pick up another bottle of this for myself, as it is really a wonderful example of what a great winemaker can do even in an off vintage.
Saturday night we had the "normale" 2004 Produttori di Barbaresco before dinner, and while my Dad thought it was off, I thought the wine was quite nice, just very young. For a $30 normale Barbaresco, my opinion is that this wine can be something quite special with time. For now, I think it's just too young.
We also drank the 2001 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino out of a 375ml bottle. I enjoyed some Col d'Orica in Rome last year, and thought this 2001 was nice and elegant, though not necessarily a blockbuster. But I don't believe Brunello should necessarily be a full-bodied monster, so to me it was quite nice.
Finally, Saturday night's dinner featured the 2004 Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape. Coming after the other wines we had tried, it was quite different, but I enjoyed it. It displayed a more rustic side of Chateauneuf to me, which is what I really enjoy. I had always heard good things about this producer, and my first bottle certainly made a good impression.
Again, there were many other wines tried, but these were really the highlights of the weekend. It's always nice to be able to drink through such a great variety with my family and discuss/compare our thoughts.
Friday night's best among the pre-dinner choices was the 2006 Collosorbo Rosso di Montalcino. Dad and I tasted many 2006 Rossos at Vinitaly, so we knew the potential of the vintage. This wine did not disappoint, with gobs of jammy fruit exploding out of the glass both on the nose and then in the tasting. I had never actually had anything from this producer, but I was certainly impressed.
Friday night's dinner wine was the 2002 Tommaso Bussola BG Amarone. Since 02 was a generally poor vintage in Veneto (as with most of Italy), Bussola only bottled one Amarone (as opposed to three in good vintages). With such severe selection, he was able to craft a wonderful Amarone, available at a decent price (well, decent for suc quality as it was still $55). I certainly plan to pick up another bottle of this for myself, as it is really a wonderful example of what a great winemaker can do even in an off vintage.
Saturday night we had the "normale" 2004 Produttori di Barbaresco before dinner, and while my Dad thought it was off, I thought the wine was quite nice, just very young. For a $30 normale Barbaresco, my opinion is that this wine can be something quite special with time. For now, I think it's just too young.
We also drank the 2001 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino out of a 375ml bottle. I enjoyed some Col d'Orica in Rome last year, and thought this 2001 was nice and elegant, though not necessarily a blockbuster. But I don't believe Brunello should necessarily be a full-bodied monster, so to me it was quite nice.
Finally, Saturday night's dinner featured the 2004 Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape. Coming after the other wines we had tried, it was quite different, but I enjoyed it. It displayed a more rustic side of Chateauneuf to me, which is what I really enjoy. I had always heard good things about this producer, and my first bottle certainly made a good impression.
Again, there were many other wines tried, but these were really the highlights of the weekend. It's always nice to be able to drink through such a great variety with my family and discuss/compare our thoughts.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
2005 Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone-Villages
A collaboration between two of Chateauneuf's best winemakers, Feraud-Brunel's Cotes du Rhone Villages has been a favorite of mine for several years. Andre Brunel of Les Cailloux and Laurence Feraud of Pegau make some great (and highly priced) wines, so it's great to see what they can do with more of an everyday wine. I only recently drank my last bottle of the 2001, and it was still quite good, so I was anticipating my first taste of the 2005.
I am pleased to report that the latest vintage is just as good as previous years. The wine offers plenty of garrigue typical of a Grenache-based Southern Rhone wine. Coming in at around $16, it's a wine I definitely recommend for those searching out a good valued Southern Rhone.
I am pleased to report that the latest vintage is just as good as previous years. The wine offers plenty of garrigue typical of a Grenache-based Southern Rhone wine. Coming in at around $16, it's a wine I definitely recommend for those searching out a good valued Southern Rhone.
2001 Le Calice de St Pierre Chateauneuf du Pape
Last weekend I decided to pull out one of my many mid-range Chateauneuf du Papes for my weekend steak dinner. I bought the 2001 Le Calice de St Pierre originally in Pensacola after having a bottle with my parents and enjoying it. This one had been stored in my passive cellar for several years and upon initial tasting seemed to have aged quite a bit. The fruit was lacking a bit but colorwise, the wine wasn't faded.
I drank this wine over two nights, and actually the second night it did seem a bit better. Still not great, so I'm not sure if the wine was in an awkward phase of some sort, if it was just an off bottle, or if it had aged quite rapidly. It wasn't undrinkable, but was still overall a bit of a disappointment.
I drank this wine over two nights, and actually the second night it did seem a bit better. Still not great, so I'm not sure if the wine was in an awkward phase of some sort, if it was just an off bottle, or if it had aged quite rapidly. It wasn't undrinkable, but was still overall a bit of a disappointment.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
2005 Volver La Mancha
A Spanish wine that I picked up solely base don the review note posted in the store, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the 2005 Volver. Well, this Tempranillo from the region of La Mancha did not disappoint. It is a Jorge Ordonez wine, and might be a little too "New World" for some people, but when you're in the mood and prepared for a fruit-forward modern-styled wine, this won't disappoint.
It's not something I'm always looking for, but I was really wowed by this wine, especially considering the price of about $15. It's also probably the first wine I've had from La Mancha, not known right now for producing top quality wines, but this wine might help put it on the map. If it's not obvious from what I've written thus far, I highly recommend this wine for those looking for a wine that overdelivers for its price.
It's not something I'm always looking for, but I was really wowed by this wine, especially considering the price of about $15. It's also probably the first wine I've had from La Mancha, not known right now for producing top quality wines, but this wine might help put it on the map. If it's not obvious from what I've written thus far, I highly recommend this wine for those looking for a wine that overdelivers for its price.
2005 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel
Loudoun and Ashley also brought me the most recent allocation of Turley's we had received, so when I decided on barbecued chicken for dinner after they left, I figured I could take out an older Turley to drink with it. My choice was the 2005 Juvenile, a rare Turley I have not heard very good things about. Many people don't really like the Juvenile compared to the rest of the wimery's portfolio, and 2005 wasn't really a strong vintage.
Well, I was surprised when I opened this and found it to be what I considered to be a more typical Turley. It didn't hold back anything, coming right at you with plenty of fruit and also a bit of alcohol. I was quite pleased with this wine overall - to me, it once again shows the talent at Turley to take the youngest vines they have and produce a wine that still something special among Zinfandels.
Well, I was surprised when I opened this and found it to be what I considered to be a more typical Turley. It didn't hold back anything, coming right at you with plenty of fruit and also a bit of alcohol. I was quite pleased with this wine overall - to me, it once again shows the talent at Turley to take the youngest vines they have and produce a wine that still something special among Zinfandels.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Weekend with Loudoun and Ashley
My friends Loudoun and Ashley came to visit Atlanta from Charlotte last weekend, offering a chance for several great wines to be drunk. Friday night we had steaks at my place, while Saturday night we ventured out to Kyma for an evening of fantastic Greek food.
I had promised that I had a great wine picked out for Friday night, and I think Loudoun was quite excited when he arrived to find the 1993 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon opened in the kitchen. 1993 was a poor vintage in the Northern Rhone, but the Pavillon still garnered a 92 point rating from Parker. Nonetheless, it never really sold well from what I can tell, and a bunch showed up last year at one of my favorite stores in Atlanta, Hinton's Wine Store. When it was then marked down even further, I decided to buy it for a price that can't be beat for a Chapoutier Ermitage, with the intention of drinking it sooner rather than later.
The wine certainly did not disappoint. While it did not reach the heights of the 1995 (the greatest wine I've ever tasted), the wine was not off in any way. It had some of the typically peppery notes I've found in wines from Hermitage, but was very elegant overall. The wine did not fade during the night either, suggesting to me it still had some life left. No doubt I will be holding my bottle of 1999 Le Pavillon for good deal longer.
For a second wine Friday night, I went for something a little less serious, the 1999 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino. I actually didn't realize I still had a bottle of the 1999 Rosso left, and was a bit worried it may be over the hill, as most people do not recommend aging these wines for close to 10 years. This wine was still good though, showing as well as could be expected, and very similar to what I would expect an older Brunello to be.
Saturday night at Kyma, we went with two of my favorite Greek wines from the wonderful list at the restaurant (almost all Greek wines, and very reasonably priced). First, we actually went with a white, the 2006 Amethystos from Domaine Costa Lazaridi. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Assyrtiko, this wine is a great example of blending international varietals with indigenous Greek grapes to create very nice easy-drinking wine.
For a second wine, we went with one of the more serious reds produced in Greece, the 2005 Skouras Megas Oenos. The Megas Oenos is a blend of Agioritiko and Cabernet Sauvignon, once again taking an international varietal and adding it to an indigenous one. The result is a very robust, full-bodies wine, that was quite enjoyable. A wine like this shows what Greek wines are capable of, and should be tried by anyone who wants to see the potential the country has to produce top-quality.
Overall, the weekend was fabulous, as to me there is nothing better than sharing great wine with great friends. Like when I get together with my family, a weekend with Loudoun and Ashley is a great time to break out some wines I've been holding onto, and for all of us to experience some great wines from a variety of places.
I had promised that I had a great wine picked out for Friday night, and I think Loudoun was quite excited when he arrived to find the 1993 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon opened in the kitchen. 1993 was a poor vintage in the Northern Rhone, but the Pavillon still garnered a 92 point rating from Parker. Nonetheless, it never really sold well from what I can tell, and a bunch showed up last year at one of my favorite stores in Atlanta, Hinton's Wine Store. When it was then marked down even further, I decided to buy it for a price that can't be beat for a Chapoutier Ermitage, with the intention of drinking it sooner rather than later.
The wine certainly did not disappoint. While it did not reach the heights of the 1995 (the greatest wine I've ever tasted), the wine was not off in any way. It had some of the typically peppery notes I've found in wines from Hermitage, but was very elegant overall. The wine did not fade during the night either, suggesting to me it still had some life left. No doubt I will be holding my bottle of 1999 Le Pavillon for good deal longer.
For a second wine Friday night, I went for something a little less serious, the 1999 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino. I actually didn't realize I still had a bottle of the 1999 Rosso left, and was a bit worried it may be over the hill, as most people do not recommend aging these wines for close to 10 years. This wine was still good though, showing as well as could be expected, and very similar to what I would expect an older Brunello to be.
Saturday night at Kyma, we went with two of my favorite Greek wines from the wonderful list at the restaurant (almost all Greek wines, and very reasonably priced). First, we actually went with a white, the 2006 Amethystos from Domaine Costa Lazaridi. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Assyrtiko, this wine is a great example of blending international varietals with indigenous Greek grapes to create very nice easy-drinking wine.
For a second wine, we went with one of the more serious reds produced in Greece, the 2005 Skouras Megas Oenos. The Megas Oenos is a blend of Agioritiko and Cabernet Sauvignon, once again taking an international varietal and adding it to an indigenous one. The result is a very robust, full-bodies wine, that was quite enjoyable. A wine like this shows what Greek wines are capable of, and should be tried by anyone who wants to see the potential the country has to produce top-quality.
Overall, the weekend was fabulous, as to me there is nothing better than sharing great wine with great friends. Like when I get together with my family, a weekend with Loudoun and Ashley is a great time to break out some wines I've been holding onto, and for all of us to experience some great wines from a variety of places.
2005 Domaine Santa Duc Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes
Domaine Santa Duc is best known for being one of the top producers of Gigondas, but I've found in the past that they also do a pretty good job with Cotes du Rhone. The 2005 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes did not disappooint, offering up a lot of the garrigue that I would expect from a Chateauneuf du Pape costing 3-4 times as much. This may be because the wine is composed of mainly Grenache, with Syrah, Mourvedre, and others making up the rest.
The wine drank well over 3 days, which to me suggests it is incredibly well made for a wine in this range and could last for a few years. It was priced comparable to most decent Cotes du Rhones, about $12, so I'd definitely recommend it if you see some.
The wine drank well over 3 days, which to me suggests it is incredibly well made for a wine in this range and could last for a few years. It was priced comparable to most decent Cotes du Rhones, about $12, so I'd definitely recommend it if you see some.
2004 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre
Another one of my perennial favorites, the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre rarely disappoints. The 2004 vintage was a pretty good one in the Veneto, and this wine reflects that, showing off plenty of fruit without being overdone.
This wine used to be classified as a Ripasso, but Allegrini has chosen to go the IGT route in the past few years allowing them to add a touch of Sangiovese to the Corvina and Rondinella. To me, this softens the wine just a bit and makes it a bit lighter on its feet. This also to me makes it a great food wine. Usually retailing still for around $20, this is a very reasonably priced wine that I have enjoyed for several vintages and will hopefully continue to do so.
One last note - I've fallen a bit behind here, so several posting will be coming in up here tonight and tomorrow as I try to catch up.
This wine used to be classified as a Ripasso, but Allegrini has chosen to go the IGT route in the past few years allowing them to add a touch of Sangiovese to the Corvina and Rondinella. To me, this softens the wine just a bit and makes it a bit lighter on its feet. This also to me makes it a great food wine. Usually retailing still for around $20, this is a very reasonably priced wine that I have enjoyed for several vintages and will hopefully continue to do so.
One last note - I've fallen a bit behind here, so several posting will be coming in up here tonight and tomorrow as I try to catch up.
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