Shay A

9.1

First time with this producer.

100% grand cru Chardonnay (Cramant, Avize, Chouilly); 80% 2017 vintage (base), 20% from Solera dating back to 1998; 3.5g/l dosage; disgorged January 2022

I was fortunate to get this bottle that was already three+ years past disgorgement so this champagne was in a good window. Bright lemon and citrus-forward aromatics; floral too (honeysuckle). Took some time for any sort of yeasty/brioche to come around, but a little bit began to appear after the first glass. The time on lees helped give this some depth to avoid the harsh/overly intense profile some young grower BdB champagnes can posses. Chiseled but all things in their correct place. An elegant style with classical mineral/chalky limestone, lemon cream and added citrus. This leans on the lighter-side, so the use of dosage here likely helps broaden the palate in texture and length to prevent an overly-light (and/or austere) profile. — 7 days ago

Shay A

9.2

One of my bottles from my annual WWC hosting. Part of a Grenache flight (including ‘19 Rotie Cellars “Big G”, ‘19 Saint-Damien Souteyrades Gigondas, ‘18 Andremily Grenache).

Picked this bottle up during a Seattle trip a few years ago at Rotie’s SoDo warehouse tasting room.

Similar in color to the Comando G La Bruja before it (light ruby red) but the aromatics couldn’t be more opposite. This is classical Rocks District with umami, savory, and distinct profile. Not sure how much whole cluster is here, but assuming some. Olive, spiced rhubarb, smoked meat on the nose. Light on the palate but the typical briny/iron/savory notes of the region come out. The Rocks funk fades the longer it’s open allowing a core of red fruit to become more prominent, but this is a savory wine through and through. Not as much depth or complexity as Cayuse’s GOK, but a nice wine if you enjoy the style. Drinking fine now. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.3

One of the bottles from my annual WWC hosting. I opened this as a side by side to a 2019 Saxum White as the makeup is fairly similar.

80% roussanne/ remaining a mix of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, piquepoul blanc, picardan and bourboulenc.

Nicely expressive at pop, it then faded and hid in a shell for a few hours before coming back at last glass. At 80% roussanne, I expected a more consistent expressive profile (honeyed tropical fruits, some orange) and for the acid to show a touch, but it was a roller coaster. More melon and light fruits vs bigger/more tropical. Medium bodied but not as rich as expected. It’s clean and shows some floral and mineral/stony nuances, but I’d spend the extra and take the Roussanne VV to get more complexity and flavor. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.4

My contribution to a large Rhône dinner. Standouts were ‘07 Chapoutier Le Meal Blanc, ‘89 and ‘90 Jaboulet La Chappelle, ‘11 Guigal La Mouline.

An over-generalization, but what I love about Cornas is the rusticity and sometimes feral nature of the wines (which I don’t find in Hermitage or CR) and this ‘05 is in that vein. I followed this from pop (after all, we are at the almost 20yr mark) and over the course of three hours.

Interplay of red and black berry fruits, black pepper, slightly herbal (maybe closer to potpurri floral) aromatically. Bright and nimble on the palate, nothing about this is ripe or soft. Energetic acidity all the way through surrounded by notes of iron (sanguine-like) and rocky minerality. Crunchy red and black fruits (whole-cluster?), hint of gaminess but not in the meaty-style I semi-expected. Clean and pure style of Syrah. Big structure at the finish…hard to imagine drinking this 10+yrs ago. Acidity and tannin will carry this a long time, but I think this is peak window for getting depth of fruit and complexity. — 12 days ago

Shay A

9.2

One of my bottles from my annual WWC hosting. Part of a Grenache flight (including ‘19 Rotie Cellars “Big G”, ‘19 Saint-Damien Souteyrades Gigondas, ‘18 Andremily Grenache).

Last of a three-pack.

I’m a little surprised at the average score here, but wonder if it has to do with the aromatics presenting a little cru-Beaujolais like (borderline partial carbonic fermentation type aromatics). Bright, juicy, crunchy Grenache. Light ruby colored in the glass with potpurri, candied raspberries, faint spiced rhubarb on the nose. Crisp, juicy red and black berry fruit with a savory/mineral iron type note toward the finish. It’s light, tangy, crunchy and expressive. I’m sure these age wonderfully but it’s tasty right now. Great pairing with grilled quail! — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.2

Picked up a couple of these from a local cellar sale at a crazy cheap price and have been happy with each one.

Classically older SLD Cabernet. The fruit spectrum is on the red and black side (as I expect from SLD) with a mocha/cocoa layered sweetness. Some older fig, sweet pipe tobacco, and a core of fruit still in-tact. Soft on the mid-palate but retaining nice structure throughout the finish. Exactly what I expected from 34yr old Napa Cabernet.

Hope to try the Realm X Hartwell wine to see the vision from where this was to what the profile goal is in the future. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.3

One of my bottles from my annual WWC hosting.

“Carcavelos is the smallest wine appellation in Portugal and is amongst the rarest of wines. Vinho generoso. Oxidative in character.”

My last of three bottles. Always enjoy opening a birth year bottle around my birthday and these can age indefinitely. Profile wise, this is a bit like an Oloroso + Madeira. The sharp and tangy sherry profile is evident from first smell, and the oxidative notes carry to some toffee and a slightly more rich profile bringing out familiar Madeira notes. The interplay of the tangy and rich toffee is unique and delicious. A fun dessert wine to sit back and enjoy. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.3

One of my bottles from my annual WWC hosting. Part of a Grenache flight (including ‘19 Rotie Cellars “Big G”, ‘19 Saint-Damien Souteyrades Gigondas, ‘18 Andremily Grenache).

80% Grenache/ 20% Mourvèdre

I’m a fan of this Gigondas producer and think the wines exhibit an excellent value. After the first two Grenache wines, we take a dark (profile) turn here. Classical garrigue, dark potpurri, and spiced blackberries aromatically, with some leather and tobacco as well. Dark black fruits dominate the palate surrounded by bitter dark chocolate, black pepper, hint of charcoal and mineral. Concentrated but not sweet. In a delicious window now but benefitted from the air it got…no rush. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.4

One of the bottles from my annual WWC hosting, opened alongside a 2020 Chateau Beaucastel Blanc.

46% Grenache Blanc/31% roussanne/23% Chenin Blanc.

More expressive and dialed up compared to the Beaucastel (not a big surprise). Medium gold in the glass. Bright and juicy roussanne notes of orange marmalade and apricot, alongside white peaches and a powder-sugar funnel-cake type aromatic. The Chenin gives this a good spine of acidity to prevent the rich and full-bodied entry from being flabby. Honey-roasted nuts, honeycomb, lemon cream, underripe pineapple and a savory/waxy finish. The warmth comes out at the finish, but it’s not substantial. Really nice with 1-2hrs of air. — 15 days ago

Shay A

9.5

Acquiring and trying a bottle of Keller GG Riesling has been on my list for a while, and a great opportunity allowed me to snag this 2018 and finally see what makes this producer so highly regarded.

Enjoyed at pop, and followed over two hours.

I’m sure this could have benefitted from a decant, but part of my desire was to see how it changed from the start. Incredibly aromatic out of the glass…bright citrus and nearly tropical fruits, floral and also a unique smokiness. Texturally, this was powerful with intensity and vibrant-slaty minerality. Fresh limes and limestone wrapped in a full-bodied (for a Riesling) profile with acidity and a finish that lingered extensively. Fresh. Electric. Pure.

I didn’t notice a substantial difference at last glass vs the first, but this is still in its infancy. I can’t even fathom how good these must be with 15-20yrs on them! — 15 days ago