The last summer Friday at Bin 75

The weekend before I went to California was my last Friday night tasting at Bin 75 for the summer (when I have a chance to get home for a while before heading out to taste). It was another solid night, with a highlight for me coming late in the tasting. Our first wine of the night was a solid start, the 2004 Gouges Nuits St Georges Clos des Porrets. The table was actually divided as to whether it was a Burgundy or a Chateauneuf du Pape, and I sided with the CdP group. Overall, it was a very good wine form a producer I've come to admire, though not quite the level of the best I've had from him.

Our next wine was very much the opposite of the spectrum, the 2004 Altamura Cabernet. Most of us were actually stumped, thinking this California Can was actually and Australian Shiraz. It was still oaky with jammy fruit that was almost too much, especially coming after an elegant Burgundy.

The next spot was actually not a bad time for my wine to come up, as it was the 2001 Brigaldara Amarone. The wine was quite nice, very much what I expected, and typical of a good aged Amarone. Not surprisingly, most everyone was able to figure out what it was. That was followed by the 2006 Il Poggione Brunello, which is very young but already showing typical Brunello character and some real elegance for its youthful age. Most everyone was able to identify it as Brunello, as did I, though I thought it was a 2004.

Next up was the 2004 Sabon Prestige Chateauneuf du Pape, which seemed to just be emerging from the dormancy most CdP's go through after a few years. I actually guessed it to be a 2006. Our next wine was a CdP as well, but fooled everyone into thinking it was a Burgundy (especially after the Gouges earlier). Instead, it was the 1996 Beaucastel, which was drinking incredibly well. I've had several bottles of the 1996 Pignan, which has also been very Burgundian in character, and this wine reminded me a lot of that one.

Our CdP run continued with the 2005 Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape. I eventually identified it as a CdP, and in fact this was the bottling I thought the Sabon was. It is still a young wine, with a lot of acidity that makes me believe in another few years it will really be better.

After several French wines, it was only natural that we went back to Italy, starting with the 1998 Antinori Guado al Tasso. I actually thought this might be a Barolo as I got some sandalwood, though most everyone else thought it was a Supertuscan (though no one was close on the age). The next wine was a Barolo, the 2003 Schiavenza Perno. I actually thought it was a 98 Barolo, so for a 2003, it wasn't bad.

Our next wine was quite controversial, the 2006 Ricasoli Casalferro, a Supertuscan Sangiovese-Merlot blend. I thought there was something wrong with the wine, but others disagreed. I stood by my opinion and feel it's unfair to give a real report on it. Thankfully, we followed that with another Nebbiolo, this time the 2006 Batasiolo Barolo. Most everyone was able to figure out it was a young Barolo, though in truth it was really too young to be drinking.

With the regular lineup complete, a couple of the group went next door to grab a few more wines to finish. We stayed in Italy, and the next one was a wine I knew soon after tasting. It was the 2000 Quintarelli Valpolicella, and I made that exact call. Having had the wine several times during this year's Vinitaly trip, I easily identified the style and elegance of the wine. We followed that with the 2004 San Felice Poggio Rosso Chianti Classico. I actually thought this was another 06 Brunello, as this wine was pretty big and young, though obviously Sangiovese.

Overall it was a good night, and would hold me over for several weeks before I could make my return to the Friday night group.

Re-starting the Friday night series

I'm finally getting back to what I intend to be one of the regular features of this blog - my reports on Friday night blind tastings at Bin 75. Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to try a lot of great wine, and have learned so much by being able to taste blind. My last post on 1993 Bordeaux was all garnered from several Friday tastings, but now I plan to try to recap most of the tastings overall. Having been each of the past two Fridays, I'm hoping to write about both of those this week, and thus begin with the notes from Friday, August 5.

Our first wine of the night had me fooled a bit. It definitely had an Italian profile, and a softness that led me to guess it was a Supertuscan. Instead, it was the 2006 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Scarrone. I've had the 2007 in the past several months, and while it was still too young, this 2006 is really coming into its own. This is a serious, top-quality Barbera.

Up next was my wine, the 2001 Angelini Val di Suga Brunello. I was actually thrown off that this was mine initially because of the color - a lighter profile that suggested something older. However, on the palate the wine still had plenty of fruit and even a a bit of tannin that showed it wasn't as old as the color suggested. Overall, it was a very good wine, and a re-taste later in the evening confirmed that.

The next wine was also from Montalcino, but slightly older, the 1999 Pietranera Brunello. I thought this wine was definitely from a riper vintage, and it was definitely older and fully mature (I figured 1997). It also had a little funk on the nose, but was still a nice wine.

After three Italians, we made a definite switch with the 2004 St. Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet. This was not an over the top Aussie Cab, but actually quite restrained. It had good fruit, but was balanced, and only missing some earthiness that could have made me think it was Bordeaux. I actually thought it might be South African.

We moved on the France with our next wine, the 2003 Clos St. Jean Combes des Fous Chateauneuf du Pape. I thought this wine was really coming together nicely, and much better than I would have expected for this wine in such a hot vintage. As I will note in the notes from the most recent Friday, several 2003 CdP's are actually nicely balanced now and drinking well.

We then moved back to Italy for our next two wines, starting with the 2004 Camerano Barolo. This was definitely a younger, understated Barolo. I initially thought it may be from Burgundy before moving to Barolo. I also was thinking it was a 2005 as it seemed young, but not quite as young as a 2006 and not quite as filled out as I thought a 2004 should be.

Following that, we were back in Tuscany for the 2003 Petrolo Galatrona. This wine is still very, very young, and definitely made in a more modern style. I actually thought it might be a 2007 California Cab. I'd definitely wait longer on drinking these wines.

Suddenly, we had a quick interlude of white wine, a 2004 Weinbach Schlossberg Riesling. I've actually had a couple of Schlossbergs, and they are very nice wines that I am definitely impressed with.

Getting back to the reds, we were in France again. This time, it was the 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol. Keith actually nailed the wine, while I venured a guess a little further west in Languedoc. The wine was still very young, definitely from a hot climate, but also quite interesting. I'd love to taste it in 5-6 years.

Staying in Southern France, we had the 2007 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape. I actually thought this might be a little older, guessing it was a 2005 CdP. It definitely had some characteristics of a hotter vintage, but seemed to be coming into balance. I'm definitely happy to see some of these 2007's begin to settle.

After all of these very good wines, we were bound for disappointment, and it came from the 2007 Orin Swift Papillon. This wine was way over the top, a fruit bomb that none of us really cared for. I was actually surprised that the blend was mainly Cab, figuring it for something like Aussie Shiraz or a modern Spanish Garnacha.

We weren't going to end like that though, so the final wine gave us something to go home happy about. The 1994 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was quite nice, showing many traits of well-aged Bordeaux. I actually thought it was a slightly younger, guessing a 96 St. Julien. It was definitely a good way to finish off a very nice night.

Overall, it was a very good night, one of several we've had lately. As for my wine of the night, it was a tough call. The Pichon was a great way to finish, but the two Chateauneufs were enjoyable, as was my wine, the 01 Val di Suga. As I said tough, outside of the Orin Swift, there really wasn't a poor showing in the lineup.

How an "off" vintage of Bordeaux won me over

I will soon start recapping my regular Friday night tastings at Bin 75 again, but first I wanted to write about several wines we've had over the past two months which may have finally convinced me of the greatness of Bordeaux. The thing is, this isn't about some first-growths, or great modern vintages like 1982 or 1990 or even 2000. Instead, I have been wowed by multiple wines from 1993, a vintage generally overlooked and considered below average and early-maturing. However, over the past few months, our group has now had four different wines from 1993, and most of them have been fabulous examples of classic aged Bordeaux.

The least impressive of the group was actually the most recent, this past Friday's Gruaud-Larose. While not a bad wine, this wine was one that did seem to be fading a bit. After a fantastic classic Bordeaux nose, when tasting the wine it left a little to be desired. There was still some good earthiness, and not any soy characteristics creeping in, but the fruit was fading and the finish was short. Still, for a wine that was rated 86 points by Parker, it has held up remarkably well for an 18 year old wine.

Now onto the wines that really inspired this post. First was the 1993 Angelus, which was considered one of the better wines of the vintage. When we had this wine, it was showing off all the great characteristics of classic Bordeaux. There was a great nose, great balance on the palate, hints of earthiness, and a fairly long finish. Tasting blind (as we always do on Fridays) we all thought it could be a top wine (such as Angelus) but from a top vintage like 1990. When we saw it was 1993, we were all quite impressed at how well the wine had aged.

Perhaps inspired by this wine, others began showing up with wines from the vintage. Out next experience was the Pichon-Longueville-Baron, a wine that wasn't considered among the best of the vintage, nor anywhere near the best wines from this producer. However, this wine was just as impressive as the 1995 and 2000 Pichon Barons we've had recently. I'd probably even rate it above the 1995 (my notes on the 2000 are skewed, as the night we had it, the wine came several sports after the 1990 Montrose, which blew it and all others that night away). Once agin though, I was really wowed how a wine from such a sub-par vintage had turned into a classic after 18 years.

Finally, a couple of weeks ago we had the 1993 Tertre Roteboeuf. Perhaps showing (along with the Angelus) that the Left Bank was more successful in '93, this wine was again firing on all cylinders. It didn't quite have the depth and complexity of the Angelus, but it was still a really good wine. I don't know that it has that much life left in it, but right now this wine is still showing its stuff.

Overall, these 1993s may have finally convinced me of why so many feel that Bordeaux is the king of wine regions. While I still feel that other places can make great wines, it is rare for an off vintage anywhere else to produce such classic wines that can age for up to 20 years. I've sampled some great Hermitage from lesser vintages, but with only a handful of prodcuers to begin with, even they can't compete. As someone who has very little Bordeaux in my cellar, I feel a bit dismayed by prices for the new "classic" vintages, knowing I really can't afford much. But judging by these wines, I now have faith that if I search out some great producers in lesser vintages, there could be some great deals in age-worthy wines, and to me that is something I thought was gone for Bordeaux.

Older Northern Rhones and younger Southern Rhones

Once again, I've neglected the blog for a while, so there is a lot to catch up on. I'll begin with a selection of Rhone Valley wines I've had over the last several weeks.

First up are two wines from the north. The 2000 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde was solid, but not spectacular. This is Guigal's entry-level Cote Rotie, made from purchased fruit. It can be really good (a 1998 I had last year was quite nice, but the 2000 vintage isn't quite as good. I did enjoy this wine, but as the price continues to rise on it, it's not the great value in Cote Rotie it once was.

The next Syrah-based wine was the 2001 Patrick Lesec Cornas Le Vignon. I had Lesec's other 2001 Cornas last summer, and as expected this one performed a little better. The Le Vignon was probably not going to get any better, as this seemed a good time to be drinking it. Still not a blockbuster, it was an enjoyable wine, and probably more on the modern style of Cornas.

Moving south, I've had more from the 2007 vintage. First was the 2007 Domaine Duseigneur Antares Lirac. This was not a producer I was familiar with, but the wine had a good review and a good price. I thought the wine had a pretty nice balance for an 07, but it didn't blow me away. There wasn't quite the fruit and complexity of some of my favorite Liracs (Mordoree, Jaume), but it wasn't bad either. I may try another bottle at some point, especially if the price remains low.

Finally, I had a bottle of the 2007 Perrin et Fils Vinsobres Les Cornuds. I'd had the 2006 vintage of this wine and came away slightly underwhelmed, but the 07 is a different story. This wine was really singing, a great 2007 Rhone. As I've been noting, it seems the 07's are just now starting to hit their stride, and this was no exception. The acidity has calmed a bit, and the wine seems in fine balance. It is one of many great values now available in 2007 Southern Rhones.

2007 Cotes du Rhone and Southern Rhone

Not surprisingly, I've been drinking quite a bit of wine from the 2007 vintage in Southern France. I feel like the lower-end bottlings are finally coming into their own, and not just those from the Rhone, but also other areas.

Up first was a wine from the Languedoc, the 2007 Mourgues du Gres Costieres de Nimes les Galets Rouge. I picked this wine up in Charlotte, as the 07 vintage has not arrived here in Atlanta yet apparently. It's a predominately Syrah blend, and is really quite outstanding, especially for the price (around $15 I think).

Next was the latest vintage of one of my perennial favorites, the 2007 Chateau Pesquie Les Terrasses. I've noted this wine before, and it's definitely a fantastic value. The latest bottle was just as good as the last, maybe even a bit better as the wine has really settled into a sweet spot.

I then moved into the Rhone for two more wines from this amazing vintage. First was another favored producer, Domaine Les Aphillanthes. The 2007 les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone still has a bit of acidity, but is settling into what should be a really great value. Another few months should see the wine hit its stride, but it is already quite good. I've really enjoyed the 2006 Cotes du Rhones-Villages from this producer, and this wine has the potential to be even better.

Finally, I had the 2007 Mas de Boislauzon Cotes du Rhones-Villages. This was actually the first wine I think I've had from this winery, but they apparently hit a home run in 2007. Their top Chateauneuf du Pape cuvee got 100 points from Parker, and while this wine isn't nearly at that level, it is still really good. Like I've mentioned with the others, this wine is just really coming into its own, and will probably be at its best over the next year or two.

Overall, there is just so much fantastic quality and value coming from the 2007 vintage in southern France. I keep buying so many of these wines, and after several months they are finally settling down and becoming the great wines everyone has said they would be. Over the next several months, I anticipate many more notes on this fantastic vintage.

Rhone cellar selections

I've been a bit slow with updates, but have several lined up over the coming days. To begin, I've recently had a couple of Rhone Valley wines from my cellar. Up first was the 2001 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas, one of several wines from this producer that I have. I knew when I pulled this bottle out that it may be a little long on the tooth, and I was right. The wine wasn't shot, but it was definitely fading. On the first night, it was still good, though obviously not at its peak. By the second night, it had unfortunately lost more fruit, with the aged soy characteristics taking over.

Up next was the 2004 Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape, the latest bottle from the case of this I purchased a couple of years ago. Every so often, I like to check in on this wine, and it is still not at its peak. The wine is very nice, with lots of traditional southern Rhone characteristics, and for the price I paid (about $19/bottle) a really nice wine. I think another year or two will put this wine at its peak, so I intend to wait a while longer before opening the next bottle.

2001's from Southern France - a lesson learned

I've opened a couple of aged French wines from the cellar lately, and just got to them in time. 2001 was 9 years ago now, so many wines will be showing their age. First up was the 2001 Patrick Lesec Kristial Chateauneuf du Pape. This wasn't a particularly expensive Chateauneuf, and was stored in my passive cellar for years. As such, I wasn't surprised at its advanced age. The wine still had some nice terroir and a bit of dark fruit from the Grenache, but it wasn't a stunner. I enjoyed the wine on the first night, but by the second, the soy notes characteristic of a very advanced Chateauneuf were creeping in.

Up next was the 2001 Chateau La Roque Pic St-Loup Cupa Numismae. I'm sad to say that having multiple vintages of this, I seem to have kept them all too long thinking the Mourvedre-dominant blend needed years to settle. Instead, these wines (again stored passively) seemed to age quickly. This wine was similar to the Lesec in that on the first night, it was still good, though not great. On the second night though, things were evolving fast, and it wasn't as enjoyable. Overall, I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on these two wines, and wish I had probably opened them a bit sooner. I'm trying to do a better job at cellar management, so expect more picks from there in 2010 as I grab wines before they begin to fade.

Closing out 2009 with an old Bin 75 recap

I've really fallen behind on recapping all of the Friday night tastings I've attended at Bin 75, so I'll finish off the year with one of the best nights we had this fall. This night featured quite an array of great wines, and even included some special treats from Chris at the end of the evening.

The night began with a 2005 Chante Cigale Chateaunef du Pape. Most everyone there knew it was a CdP, but figured a little older (I went 2001). It was good, but not spectacular. We followed with another wine from the same area and vintage, the 2005 La Roquete Chateauneuf du Pape. Again, most of us were on CdP, but this time the wine was quite closed, and I guessed it to be a 2006.

Next we moved up the Rhone Valley for the 2000 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie. It had a great nose but then on the palate threw everyone for a loop. I really had no idea, and no one else did either. We then followed this with another Syrah, but this time it was the 2005 Vina Montes Folly, a Syrah from Chile. I was leaning toward Aussie Shiraz, but in one of the great pickups, Keith nailed it as Chilean Syrah.

Our next two wines were both from Piemonte, starting with the 2003 Albino Rocca Vigneto Brich Ronchi Barbaresco. I was on Nebbiolo, but guessed 2001 Barolo. Our next wine was mine, the 1996 Bovio Arborina Barolo. A few folks were on it as an aged Barolo, but not everyone. Regardless, it was a fantastic wine, truly hitting its stride.

We next had the 2001 Castelgiocondo Brunello, which I nailed as a Brunello from that vintage. It was a very good wine, though I think it possibly included something other than just Sangiovese.

We followed that with the 1988 Cos d'Estournel, which had a lot of bell pepper on the nose, but was really ageing well most of us guessed it to be a mid-90's Bordeaux. We then had a 2003 Lagier Meredith Mt Veeder Syrah that had the unfortunate luck to follow the Bordeaux and thus stick out as a little too modern. After that, we returned to Bordeaux for the 2003 Lynch Bages. This wine showed the characteristics of the hot vintage, as it was a little sweet and acidic for me.

We finally concluded the regular portion of the tasting with the 2001 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano di Monte Vergine. I initially leaned toward Southern Italy before changing my mind, but the huge tannins should have been a dead giveaway. Even with a lengthy decanting, this wine was still not quite ready to drink. It will be a great wine with several more years of age.

Finally, Chris had been in the bar with some friends and donated his remaining wine to the group, which was quite a treat. First up was the 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, a fantastic wine though no one could ID it. I guessed it could be a top vintage northern Rhone, perhaps 1999 Cornas. Regardless, it was really quite nice if still a bit young. We followed that with the 1990 Leoville Las Cases, which was truly what a nice aged Bordeaux should be like. It was really hitting its stride with everything in great balance.

Overall, this was quite a night, and one of the best I've had at Bin 75. I look forward to many more of these in 2010, and will also recap a couple of other late 2009 tastings in the coming weeks.

The blog returns from hiatus. First up - Rhones

Ok, so it wasn't anything I announced or really planned, but things got so busy for a while that blog updates disappeared for a while. Hopefully things will start to get back on track now. With a lot of traveling and other events, I truthfully haven't had a ton of wine at home of the last month or so, which means I shouldn't be too far behind. I'll begin by recapping the Rhone wines I've had over the past several weeks.

First up was a Gigondas from the cellar - a 2001 Domaine Brusset le Grand Montmirail. This wine was definitely in need of drinking, and starting to fade. The first night the wine was ok, but by the second the soy characteristics were starting to overtake it.

Next was a wine from a great Gigondas producer, but was just a Cotes du Rhone. The 2007 St Cosme Cotes du Rhone is really coming into its own now. Made from 100% Syrah, the wine is dark, full-bodies and not as hot as many of the predominately Grenache-based Cotes du Rhones that have needed time to settle. It's definitely a recommended bottle.

I next went back a year for the 2006 Domaine les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cuvee Trois Cepages. As I've noted before, this wine shows that 2006 is a great vintage as well, and shouldn't be overlooked. It remains available on markdown and is a great value.

The final wine was the 2007 Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Lirac. While not as well-known (or expensive) as the top names from Lirac, this wine is still quite impressive. Again, with the 2007 vintage it's hard to go wrong, and this wine is a great value from one of my favorite appelations. Liracs don't age as well as Chateauneufs, but they have an elegance that I don't find in any other Southern Rhone appelation other than CdP, so it's well worth seeking these wines out. I've managed to grab a couple more bottles of this to have over the next few years.

2007 Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux Les Terrasses

A favorite value wine of Robert Parker (and from an incredible vintage) the 2007 Chateau Pesquie Les Terrasses is a wine I was anxious to try. I've had this wine in prior vintages, and it usually does overdeliver. The 2007 vintage is special in the southern Rhone as I've noted, so this wine had received rave reviews.

I'm pleased to say that the wine lived up to the expectation, as it was absolutely delicious. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, it adds just a hint of elegance to the typical Rhone terroir of the Grenache, something you would expect in a wine costing 2-3 times what this does. In most vintages, I'd recommend this wine, but for 2007 definitely seek it out as there are few wines in the $12-$15 range that will deliver as much drinking pleasure.

Two from the Rhone

Among the recent bottles have been a pair from the Rhone - one old, one younger. The older wine was the 2000 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas. I will admit that this wine seemed to be fading. It wasn't bad, but the fruit seemed a bit muted, with hints of soy starting to creep in on the palate, a sign that the wine's age was a factor. There was still some underlying flavor of dark fruit, but I certainly believe that the wine was probably better a year or so ago. Santa Duc is regarded as one of the best producers in Gigondas, so it was a bit disappointing that I had held this bottle a little too long.

Up next was one of my regular choices, the 2006 Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone. Though I've had the hyped 2007, I've really enjoyed bottles of the 2006 vintage more. This bottle continued that consistency, with some good cherry flavors and a some of the typical Southern Rhone terroir. I've been reading of some issues of bottle variation on the 2007, so for now I'll stick with the 2006 vintage as long as I can, as it is a great value.

Back from vacation, a trio from Southern France

It has been quite a while since my last entry, thanks to a vacation in Greece and another weekend away to start football season. I'm catching up first with some wines from before and after the trip, all from Southern France.

Up first is the 2006 Pegovino Vin de Pays d'Oc. I've mentioned this wine before, and once again it delivered as one of the great bargains available on the market. As sub-$10 wine will rarely offer up this much flavor and balance, especially for anyone who is a fan of Southern Rhone wines.

Up next was a split of the 2004 Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape. My last night before vacation I had no wine open, so it was a great night to open one of these small bottles I keep. This wine was still quite young, but still very good. A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre, it offered great quality for the price (inexpensive for Chateauneuf). Grand Veneur makes great Cotes du Rhones as I've noted before, and this shows that their Chateauneufs are quite nice as well.

Finally, I had the 2007 Clos Chanteduc Cotes du Rhone, my latest purchase from this stellar vintage. This wine seems to be coming around nicely, with some nice fruit and spice to it. I think the 2007's as a whole needed a little time to settle down, and this wine is now rounding into form.

Overall, these were three very enjoyable wines that anyone who likes Grenache-based wines like I do will enjoy, especially for the great prices they all can be found for at most shops.

Dad joins the Bin 75 group

My parents were in town last weekend, which meant that my Dad got to go to the Friday night tasting at Bin 75 with me and experience the fun I've been having. We were back to a more manageable group compared with the prior week, and ended up with a really great group of wines.

My contribution was our first wine of the night, the 1999 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape. The wine was great to start, but later we noticed something off on the nose, suggesting it may be corked. It wasn't, but there remained some funk on the nose that never went away.

Our second wine was definitely a Cab, but it seemed so young and a bit too forward to be Bordeaux to me. I was wrong though, and shocked when it was revealed as a 2000 Chateau Malmaison. Dad had nailed it was Bordeaux, but the fact that it was a 2000 and still so young was really amazing.

Dad's wine was up next, and it was a blockbuster - the 1997 Dal Forno Valpolicella. Keith had mentioned the prior week that he would love if Dad could bring a Dal Forno, and he was happy to oblige. Everyone agreed this was a truly special wine.

The next wine seemed to be a basic California Cab, and nothing really special, but turned out to be a Cab Franc, not Sauvingnon - the 2003 Keenan Cab Franc.

The next wine began a run of Italians and was obviously a Nebbiolo. There was a split between Barolo and Barbaresco, with my guess going for a 96 Barolo. The wine ended up being the 1998 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco.

Up next was a wine that most of us identified as being Sangiovese, but varied on whether it was a Chianti, Supertuscan, or Brunello. Regardless, it was very good and ended up being the 1999 Felsina Fontalloro, a Supertuscan.

We remained in Tuscany for the next wine as well, this time for the 2003 Mazzei Siepi Supertuscan. Again, we zeroed in on Tuscany, but no one was quite right on it, and we were impressed by how well a wine from the 2003 vintage was showing.

Our next wine took us back to France, and after a bit of time I was actually able to nail the exact wine for the first time. I was lucky in that we had tasted it several weeks ago, but the combination of Syrah characteristic plus a strong sense of minerality led me to the 2005 St. Cosme Cote Rotie. I was again very impressed by this wine.

Finally, we wrapped up the night with a 2001 Chateau Lascombes Margaux. Everyone was on Bordeaux, and so we tried to get closer on the identification. Many were guessing the wine was from St. Estephe, and an older vintage of mid-late 90s. I didn't get the appellation, but did end up getting the vintage correct. Overall, it was a nice wine, especially for the vintage.

Overall, this was a great lineup of wines, maybe the best top to bottom of any night I've been at Bin 75. Dad had a great time, and most everyone enjoyed having him there. He definitely sees why I've been enjoying these tastings so much, and looks forward to joining me again.

"Mondo" tasting at Bin 75

Last week's tasting a Bin 75 was kicked up a notch as Trevor, one of the employees there, was leaving. In his honor, the usual $40 minimum bottle price was upped to $60. I was excited for what promised to be a great night, and spent much of the week deciding what to take.

The tasting began with a Bordeaux, which I and everyone else guessed. A few were able to narrow down the vintage and appellation very close, which I could not. The wine was the 2000 Chateau Dauzac Margaux. The next wine was a Bordeaux also, but this time stumped most everyone, with most of guessing Italian (though I did not). It was actually the 1998 Chateau Latour, and was a disappointing showing for a first-growth, even from a vintage that's not the strongest.

Our third wine was from Burgundy, and the color and taste easily identified it as such. Keith even had the vintage, but missed on the appellation. The wine was the 2002 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaut St-Jacques. Our next wine switched dramatically, and no one could really nail it down. Most everyone agreed it was very New World-styled, but guesses were mainly on South America or California (I guessed Spain). It ended up being the 2004 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra.

We then made a quick detour into whites, with a 2005 Smarago Gruner Veltliner and a 2006 Staglin Chardonnay. I wasn't sure what either wine was, but the Gruner was more my style of white.

Back to the reds, we ended up in Australia again with the 2005 D'Arenberg Galvo Garage, a blend with mainly Cab. I originally thought it was an Aussie, but switched my guess to California Cab blend.

Finally, we came to my wine. The wine itself was awesome, just so different than anything else we had and so unique. A couple of folks did end up figuring out that it may be a Veneto wine, but everyone was surprised by the age. The wine was a 1996 Quintarelli Valpolicella, and it was as fresh as the 1999 we had in April in Italy. Our next wine was an Italian as well - I guessed Supertuscan, but it was actually the 1997 Banfi Poggio alla Mura Brunello. It was a nice wine, but I'd be shocked if it was actually 100% Sangiovese.

After the short Italian interlude, it was back to Cabs with the 2005 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvingon. I was on California, but not sure it was a straight Cab (though Keith was). From there, it was back to Bordeaux with the 2001 Langoa Barton St. Julien. Again, I could ID that it was a Bordeaux, but not the appellation. Keith was once again able to get that extra detail, nailing that it was a St. Julien. We then went back to California Cab again with the 2003 Duckhorn Napa Cab. This time most everyone was on California Cab from the start.

We next came to Keith's wine, so he wasn't in the guessing game. Initially the wine was quite sweet and had me baffled. But as it settled a bit and I examined the color closely, I realized it had to be a Nebbiolo. It had a slight bit of age, so I guessed that it was a 99 Barolo - close, but it was the 2001 Elio Altare Brunate Barolo.

The next two wines stumped most everyone again. First was the 2001 Le Croix St. Georges Pomerol, which no one identified even as Bordeaux, and I had no idea. Following that was the 2001 Argiano Brunello - several folks guessed it was a Nebbiolo, and though I disagreed I could not guess what it might be. I did like the wine, but again was disappointed that it did not seem to be a typical Sangiovese Grosso. We then finished our reds with one more Tuscan, the 1999 Guado al Tasso Bolgheri. I thought it may be a Bordeaux from 1999 or so, but it did stump most people as it had a lot of age. The tasting then concluded with a couple of Sherries.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in what I thought would be an outstanding tasting, mainly due to the selections. This night confirmed my palate's preferences, as most of the California Cabs weren't to my liking, and even the Bordeaux wines were just ok. The Quintarelli really did stand out to me, and was just so much more pure and elegant in my opinion. I enjoyed the Brunellos, but again they lacked the true typicity that I want in those wines. Overall, it was still a fun evening, and another great chance to taste a variety of wines and talk about them with fellow wine lovers.

Two from Southern France

Last week I had a couple of French wines that featured blends of the great grapes of the South, but unfortunately with different results. First up was the 2005 Calvet-Thunevin Cuvee Constance, a Vin de Pays from Cotes Catalanes in Roussillon. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Carignan, and is quite a bargain. It is full of dark fruits and has a generous finish for a wine in this price range (about $15). It is the entry-level wine from this producer, and well worth searching out if you like Rhone varietals.

Over the weekend, I went to the cellar and pulled out a 2000 Domaine de la Mordoree Lirac Cuvee Reine des Bois. Mordoree makes great Chateauneufs, but also great Liracs, and this was the oldest of several Liracs I had. Unfortunately, I seem to have found a limit on again the Lirac (especially in my passive cellar) as this wine was past its prime. It wasn't undrinkable, but had acquired a heavy dose of soy flavors that many reds past their prime get. The soy unfortunately overtook the fruit flavors that still remained and left this as a disappointment. It's a good learning for me though, and as I still have bottles from vintages 2003-2006 in the cellar, I'll adjust accordingly on their drinking windows.

Closing out July at Bin 75

Catching up on entries, next up is a recap of another Friday night at Bin 75 in Alpharetta, this one from July 31. We were back with a group of 8-10 and tasting all the wines blind.

The first wine of the night was mine - a 1997 Luigi Einaudi Barolo. The wine was a bit advanced in age, but still with nice flavors. I did come back to it at the very end of the night though and it was fading fast, so it was good to drink it when we did. The next wine had me pretty stumped other than ID'ing some Cab in the blend, and it turned out to be the 2001 Clos les Lunelles Cotes de Castillon. The third wine also had me stumped (along with most everyone else) and turned out to be the 2005 Pibarnon Bandol.

Our fourth wine was decent, but again had me stumped on what it was, and it turned out to be the 2005 St. Cosme Chateauneuf du Pape. I didn't taste any grenache on it at all. The tough night continued next with the 2005 Mendel Mendoza Malbec, another one that most everyone failed to identify.

Next up was a wine I did not like at all (nor did I ID it correctly, though Keith nailed it) which turned out to be the 2006 Clos St. Jean Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf du Pape. I found it too sweet and not too enjoyable at all. We followed with what might have been my wine of the night, the 2005 Chateau d'Aiguilhe Cotes de Castillon. I thought it may be a Supertuscan, and was surprised how much I liked it.

We then had a 2003 St. Clement Howell Mountain Cab, which was a rare occasion on the night most everyone could at least ID the region and grape. The next wine was also showing some rare typicity for the night, and was our lone Chateauneuf to really scream that - the 2006 Domaine la Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape.

Interestingly, we then had another Chateau d'Aiguilhe, this time the 1999. It was also very good, with more age softening it up. We concluded the main portion of the tasting with a South African wine - the 2001 Morgenstern Lourens River Valley. Being a true novice with South African wines, I had no idea what it was, though Keith knew it was from South Africa.

There were a few more wines after that, but also a taste of Creme de Cassis that killed off what remained of my palate at that point, so I won't go into those wines as I really couldn't taste much of anything else at that point. Overall, it was another fun evening, though I struggled much more than previously in my attempts to ID wines. The next week ended up being a great one as well, and I'll have that report coming soon.

Weekend in North Carolina with Loudoun

Last weekend I went up to the mountains of North Carolina to visit my grandmother and enjoy the cool mountain air. Loudoun drove up from Charlotte (without his wife who was off to a bachelorette party weekend) so of course there was plenty of wine to be drunk. Friday night with steaks I opened up a 2002 Haan Shiraz, which I had purchased in Charlotte a few years ago. The wine was quite nice, though a little on the sweet side. After a while, it had acquired some almost Amarone or Recioto-like characteristics - not necessarily raisiny, but just a bit sweet. I wasn't sure that I really liked that, but overall the wine was enjoyable and not too overpowering.

Saturday night, we opened up a wine I found earlier in the day - the 2007 Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape. I'm not typically one to drink something so early, but I had purchased a bottle of this producer's 100% Grenache cuvee a few weeks ago so I was interested to see how their base wine would be. This wine was certainly no slouch - after just a bit of air, it quickly began to show off the dark fruit and spice of the Grenache that dominates the blend. It certainly gives a hint of the greatness of the vintage and makes me look forward to more 2007 Chateauneufs.

We actually finished later Saturday night with a 1999 Michele Satta Cavaliere. This Supertuscan had been in my cellar for a while and I recall it having very good reviews when I bought it. I felt that the wine was somewhat disjointed, as the fruit was fading a bit to me, but there were still some serious tannins. Loudoun enjoyed the wine a bit more, picking up some pear notes, but to me there wasn't much. With the tannins, this wine seemed to be out of balance, and I have little faith that at this advanced age it would ever get into balance (and may not have ever been). While this wine was a disappointment, the weekend was quite enjoyable visiting with my grandmother and hanging out with a good friend with good food and wine.

2007 Domaine Les Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Trois Soeurs

The second wine I've had from Domaine les Grands Bois was the 2007 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Trois Soeurs. This wine is another from the great 2007 Southern Rhone vintage, and was a great value. It's not quite as complex as the first offering I had from Grands Bois, but is a winner nonetheless. It's a more straightforward easy-drinking Cotes du Rhone, made from mainly Grenache along with some Syrah and Carignan.

I had this wine over two nights, and it did offer up a little more on the second night, but it wasn't remarkably different, offering lots of dark fruits typical of a Grenache/Syrah blend. Overall, it's another great value choice from the 2007 vintage and a wine I'd certainly look to drink again.

2001 Patrick Lesec Cornas Cuvee Sarah

I've been starting to pick through the crowded cellar in search of wines that may have gotten lost in the shuffle and might need drinking in the near-term. One of the first ones I picked out was the 2001 Lesec Cornas Cuvee Sarah.

I know wines from Cornas need some time to settle down, but this wasn't a very expensive bottle, so I figured it may be time. Turns out I was right, as the wine was beginning to fade. The first night began ominously, as when I opened the wine and poured a first sip, it tasted like cough medicine. Thankfully after 10 minutes or so it settled down, and was actually pretty nice, with some deep dark fruit on the palate.

However, the second night the fruit wasn't as prevalent and the wine seemed to be starting to come apart a bit. There wasn't any acidity or tannin noticeable, and the wine really didn't stand out in any way. I was a bit disappointed overall, but again got a good idea of the aging that goes on in my passive cellar (not optimum conditions, and sometime things do age more quickly). I do think this was a pretty good wine, it just was nearing the end of its life. I have a different cuvee of 2001 Lesec Cornas that should age a little better, and will likely try it in the coming months expecting better results.

Another Friday night at Bin 75

Tis past Friday night, I went up to Bin 75 in Alpharetta again for a BYOB tasting. Keith had been busy so the full blind format wasn't in effect, but there were still a few folks and some great wines.

When I arrived, three bottles were already open on the table. I began with the 2006 Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido, a wine I'm familiar with from our Vinitaly tastings. This is a great wine, but still needs a couple of years to really flesh out and show its full potential. Next I tried the 2005 St. Cosme Cote Rotie. This wine was young, but already showing plenty of fruit. The structure, the fruit, and the minerality were all in very good balance and made this a wonderful wine. I still think a few more years of age will make this wine even better, but it is a great wine already.

The third open wine was the 2005 Torre Muga Rioja. This wine is a more modern-styled Rioja and still shows some oak, but is a very nice wine that I think will balance out over the next few years.

After those three, we went to the wine I had brought. I had it in a brown nag, so we tasted it blind. I will admit, I'd have had no idea what this was, as the nose was initially a bit musty while the palate wasn't showing too much typicity. The wine was the 1997 Argiano Brunello, and while it ended up quite tasty, I still never really hit it as a Brunello.

After that, we had one more blind wine. We all agreed it was also a little aged, but the region did split us. I thought it could be a blended Chateauneuf, but in the end Keith had it right with a Northern Rhone. The wine was a 1999 Paul Jaboulet La Chappelle Hermitage, a legendary wine that was starting to lose its luster by 1999. I was amazed at the age here - a 1999 Hermitage shouldn't be showing this much age to me, but this wine didn't have more than a few years of life remaining.

Finally, we concluded the tasting with one more modern Spanish wine, the 2006 El Nido. This is considered a new Spanish blockbuster, but I have some real concerns. The wine seemed almost overly extracted with just gobs of fruit hitting you right off. There is some acidity here, but very little tannin to suggest that several years of aging could really balance this wine out. I see the initial pleasure one could get out of this wine, but after some of the other things we tried, it just didn't stack up.

Overall, the St. Cosme Cote Rotie was my winner for the night - this wine showed why I really do love Northern Rhones, and would probably drink them more than anything if I could afford to. The St. Cosme is actually fairly affordable for a Cote Rotie though, and I will probably look to add some to the cellar.