Florida Jim

2002 Bergerie de l’Hortus, Pic Saint Loup Classique: A touch of the Rhone on the nose which is very reticent; a lightly fruited, straight-forward, lean, unbalanced toward acidity wine that seems a bit brittle to me. Not worth the $8. 2005 Caldora, Sangiovese Terre di Chieti: Grapes and raspberries on the nose; the same on the palate with a fruit sweet delivery that is smooth, simple and pleasant. Not classy but certainly quaffable and went well with a pressed Cuban sandwich. About $8. N/V Louis Perdier, Brut Blanc de Blanc: An odd, but perfectly acceptable, mix of slightly sweet and slightly dry impressions with a healthy bead and nice sustain. Not a great bubbly but okay for $6; still, one glass will do. 2002 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos de Allées: The texture and breadth of a fine, aged Chablis; the penetrating flavor and cut of a great Muscadet; with an extremely long finish and an entire world of nuance on both the nose and palate. Sensational with grilled chicken and, at $7 on sale, cheap at three times the price. 2003 Dom “La Garrigue,” Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine: Very nice nose of meat, salty minerality, red fruit and spice; equally good on the palate with nothing overblown, solid fruit and mineral flavors with nuance, excellent balance and acidity; a medium length, bright finish. At $10, a delicious, savory wine that accompanies pasta with pesto beautifully. (A very nice and all too rare, 2003 success.) Best, Jim

2004 Pepiére, Muscadet: Bright, crystalline, thirst-quenching, stony juice that was perfect on a 90 degree day. 2004 Terres Dorees, Fleurie: Bright, crystalline, red fruit driven, mineral accented Fleurie that is so fresh it wakes-up the taste buds. Yummy! 2004 Martinsancho, Rueda: Every once and a while, you get to introduce someone to something they’ve not had before. This wine was a strong hit (as in, may I please have more?) with three pretty sophisticated tasters who hadn’t even heard of it prior. It was also a hit with me with great concentration, an oily texture, intensity, lots of spicy peach and grapefruit flavors and scents, and, a terrific finish. A mouth filling, superb verdejo. (For those who have not tried this wine, I urge you to do so. You may not like it [my wife doesn’t] but it is such a unique, authentic expression of Rueda, it is, at least, worth the try. And it usually can be found in the $10-15, range.) 2003 Dom. de Cayron, Gigondas: There is complexity, funk and fruit . . . but its all in some sort of “wine on steroids” package that makes it unattractive and, after a sip or two, something for the dump bucket. Not my style. 2003 Dom. du Joncier, Lirac: Such a contrast from the foregoing wine . . . restrained on the nose and palate with an almost salty minerality, a silken texture, super-fine-sandpaper tannins and a really lovely, sweet fruit delivery that is more about elegance than power; long, nicely balanced finish. At $12, this is head and shoulders above the Cayron at $20 – for me. Best, Jim

Saturday night; twelve hours and 750 miles from NC to FL; I wanted a nice bottle with my pizza: Earl Alain Michaud, Brouilly Prestige de Vieilles Vigne: Perfectly balanced, quiet but deep, black fruit mostly and a sappy, focused delivery. A very nice wine still showing quite young. Sunday afternoon party at John’s with pork roast and braised root veggies (thankfully, the a/c was on): 2005 Terres Dorees, Beaujolais Nouveau: Juicy, fresh, spicy, clean, delicious, charming wine that should be drunk from a tumbler and slightly chilled. As good as this designation will ever see. Monday evening after a day of cleaning house, inside and out, I grilled pork chops and had a Caesar salad: 2001 Niepoort, Douro Vertente: The main constituents seem to be Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, if I extrapolated correctly from the website. Fresh and stewed plums, cocoa and some cooked rhubarb aromas with a slight hint of port wine; mid-weight and pretty bright in the mouth (almost tart) with flavors that follow the nose, fine tannins and mouthwatering acidity; long, grippy finish. Showing young and rambunctious but well balanced and certainly good with the chops. (While I enjoyed this wine, I can’t help thinking the price ($22) is generated more by the brand name than the juice. Other recent Portuguese table wines, especially Alvaro Castro’s, Dao ($10), have impressed as much or more. And while I have no qualm with anyone charging what they can get, I think the consumer can get more for less. Still, it beats the majority of $50 domestic wines in concentration, complexity and interest; so, bring it on!) Tuesday evening with salad and crusty bread: 2004 Droin, Chablis: The nose is solid Chablis but the palate has a burnt/ash/stone component that simply doesn’t let the fruit shine through. I’m just guessing here, but this tastes like a barrel experiment (as this producer has been known to do) that didn’t work. Best, Jim

Tomorrow I head back to FL for the birth of my first grandchild. This despite spring beginning to touch our mountains, blazing temperatures in the south and 750 miles to go. One last party seemed appropriate. With assorted goat cheeses (4) and crostini: 1996 Domaine du Closel, Savennières Clos du Papillon Cuvée Spéciale: Penetrating aromas of straw, quince, herb tea, citrus and gun metal – very complete; flavors echo the nose in the company of a honeycomb note in the bass register and with tremendous viscosity and cut across the palate; deep, very complex and concentrated, balanced, integrated, and, an endlessly long, mouthwatering finish. At a decade, this wine is still youthful and vivid with some development showing mostly on the nose. But it clearly has the structure and stuffing for several more decades in the cellar. And I don’t think I have ever tasted a better Savennières. ‘Killer with the dish. With spring pea soup (cream base): 2000 Pieropan, Soave La Rocca: A wonderful wine that I saved a glass of for the rest of dinner; open and citrus/mineral on the nose with some light spice tones; round and viscous on the palate with flavors that follow the nose, no hint of the wood that this is aged in save for the very slight butterscotch tones on the very outside of the mouth; long, clean finish. Yummy. With sautéed shrimp on pasta with fresh herbs: 1989 Chateau de Beaucastel, CdP: Maybe not everyone’s first choice with the dish, but more than worth the try; open, engaging, resolved and expansive nose; very fine on the palate with great complexity and lots of red fruit notes; long, clean finish. This bottle was at peak, thoroughly enjoyable and very impressive. Unlike a recent bottle, this showed all that this wine can be – and that is more than most. Best, Jim

How so? Best, Jim

2002 Martínsancho, Rueda: Verdejo, in the hands of Angel Rodríquez, is not your lightweight, elegant white; rather it is expansive on the nose with lots of spiciness; full-sized and strongly flavored on the palate (despite being 13% alcohol) and built to accompany food. This vintage is rounding into another excellent effort and was terrific with smoked salmon spread on crackers. 1991 Chat. Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon: Black-garnet in color with only the slightest hint of browning at the rim; cabernet fruit and barrel on the nose with a hint of soy sauce; focused but round in the mouth with barrel tones, some very clear cassis notes and some peppery, ripe (but not over-ripe), black fruit; medium length. Good balance; the barrel notes, although apparent, are not overblown and the wine has a clarity and presence that are pretty interesting. Has lost some tannin (substantial sediment) but still has good grip and is a bit drying on the finish. 2002 Joël Taluau, St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil VV: Spectacular nose of crushed black raspberries and fresh herbs with mineral hints; remarkably concentrated on the palate with good grip, focus and complexity; a worsted texture, and a long, bursting finish with fine tannins evident. A little early to be into this one but for a worthy cause – Mark came over and volunteered to cook (a CIA trained chef in our home version of ‘Ready, Set, Cook’) and he wanted a cabernet franc; so he got a good one. Although showing young, it is not closed or disjointed; rather, it is exuberant and structured. Really, good juice. 1995 Rubino della Palazzola: After many years of being overly tannic and out of balance, this wine has found its groove. Focused aromatics and a black fruit driven, very well balanced palate that seems to ask ‘why did you ever open a bottle before now?’ Very good and, at least on this night, more enjoyable than the Montelena. No hurry. Best, Jim

2000 R. & V. Dauvissat, Chablis La Forest: A glorious nose – expansive, penetrating, integrated and complex – with citrus, lemon oil, mineral, mountain stream water and white fruit elements all intense and playing off each other; as good a nose on a chardonnay as I have ever smelled and, truly, one for my life list; very good on the palate too, with flavors that echo the nose, a softening of the acidity which allows the wine to be broader and softer in the mouth than on release yet it is still vivid and lively; good depth and length. Perfectly balanced and as authentic an expression of the vineyard as I can remember. This bottle was at, or very near, peak. Magnificent! 2003 Sean Thackery, Andromeda: Pinot noir says the label, from some place called Devil’s Gulch Ranch in Marin County, CA; okay, it smells like pinot and even tastes a little like pinot; but there is not the slightest chance that anyone can tell me where this is from by smelling or tasting. It has pretty, milk chocolate-strawberry flavors but it’s candied, on both the nose and palate, heavily extracted and has no character. “Cocktail wine” at its best and it belongs in someone else’s cellar (fortunately, that’s where this bottle came from). BTW, 15.1% alcohol, if you’re counting – curiously, it does not show hot!? 2001 Giacosa, Nebbiolo D’Alba: The best showing of this wine, ever. Tar and roses (not to be confused with the rock group) on the nose; wonderful secondary development on the palate and great complexity with lots of earthy/leathery/not fruit stuff happening in the background as the wine unfolds in the glass. Really lovely tonight (but then, maybe, it’s just the comparison with the CA pinot). Nope, that’s not it. This is as close to Barbaresco as it gets without being Barbaresco. Best, Jim

1996 Hirtzberger, Riesling Singerriedel: golden; powerful nose with concentrated riesling aromas, some minerality and distinct resinous notes; the same on the palate which has delineated flavors, is texturally smooth, pretty deep and bone dry; good intensity and balance and an extremely long finish. Not the depth of the ’99 nor the breadth of the ’01 but a very solid, flavor-filled wine that is clearly from Austria. With chicken-apple sausages and spring vegetables, excellent accompaniment. 2002 Drouhin, Volnay: Fresh, ripe raspberries pulverized in a stone mortar and pestle; this wine has tensile strength – it’s pure and clean and focused and long. A really fine bottle drinking well now but capable of at least medium term aging. Superb with grilled pork chops and stir-fry veggies on rice. 1999 Dugat-Py, Gevrey-Chambertin VV: Gevrey earth and a forceful density; still closed but showing enough to make me glad to have a glass in my hand; aromatically reticent; rich and concentrated in the mouth with less of the ‘CA feel’ it had at release and more of its ‘Gevrey-ness’ with substantial complexity; very long, ripe and so together. A great wine, even now, and very good with assorted cheeses. Best, Jim

Jim, I very much appreciate your Soave comparison. Thanks, Jim

2002 Dönnhoff, Riesling (Qba): So much better than on release with a bright, stony, cherry pit delivery and a vinous yet etched, riesling core. Still acid driven but such perfect balance as to make that edge a laser-like focus for the flavors and minerality of the wine. Really lovely. 2004 Palacios, Bierzo Pétalos: YoUnG, big, layered, exuberant, rustic, grapey, intense . . . suffice it to say a good wine showing very primary with lots of potential. Fun now but I suspect its best days are a couple years out. Quality well above its price point (about $15). 2003 Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore: Youthful, balanced, complex and ripe, leaving no doubt of its variety or pedigree. A wine of style and substance today or tomorrow. One of the few European wines from the vintage that seem to have not only survived but gained from the heat. 2002 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allées: Giving up some of its cut now (but by no means, all) to breadth and texture across the palate; still beautifully scented and full flavored with lots of mineral complexity and a bright, stone driven tone that seems to ring through the wine like a bell. One delicious bottle of juice. 2000 Belle Pente, Pinot Noir Estate Reserve: Bold, rich without being tiring, gently oaky and full of promise; this too is showing young while delivering an expansive but delineated fruit character and the earthiness that seems to be this producer’s signature. And even at this size, with 14.3% alcohol, no distortion – quite something. 2000 Nikolaihof, Riesling Steiner Hund: Alpine meadow when the bright sun warms the flowers, the grasses, the stones and yet the air temperature is still nippy; cool well-water that has been infused with unripe pineapple, lime, green chili’s and just the faintest hints of fresh thyme, ginger and marjoram; the tarn below is crystalline, wholly still, endlessly deep and, in one glance, reflects the entire landscape, with the sky above patched by feathered cirrus . . . each sip. God bless the stone dog. Best, Jim

1999 Nigl, Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben: I am often at a loss for specific adjectives with veltliner; suffice it to say that this is viscous without being cloying, broad on the palate and yet still focused, has lots of spicy and mineral tinged complexity but as a part of an integrated whole, and is extremely long in the mouth. ‘Decades left in the cellar and, I suspect, development at a glacial pace – still, drinking it now is a very fulfilling experience and not to be avoided lest one be in one’s early twenties. And along side pasta with zucchini in cream sauce, out of this world. 2002 Dom. Les Fines Graves (Jacky Janodet), Moulin à Vent: Slightly closed on the nose and palate but showing dark fruit and spice with chalky tannins, good depth, excellent balance and, with air, layers of scent and flavor. A very good wine now and, I expect, a superb one in a few years. Fine accompaniment to a grilled tuna with white bean salad and crostini. Dinner with Tim: With Roquefort and leek tart: 2000 Huet, Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg: At first, quite closed with a distinct smoky, stony scent; later it develops herb tea aromas and flavors as well as unripe pineapple notes; more sec tendre than demi-sec and not as viscous or intense as expected. But with the dish, it is spectacular in a way that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One of the best wine/food pairings I have tasted. With grilled shrimp on rice with peas, snow peas and mushrooms: 2002 La Chablisienne, Chablis Cuvée LC: Correct, ripe Chablis that is approachable and accompanies the dish as an equal player; neither outdoing the other. Very nice With aged Gouda and pistachio nuts: 1999 Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco: This has “younged-up” since release with very primary scents and flavors and a slightly awkward delivery; still fine nebbiolo-ness with good depth and balance. Needs time and better with the cheese than without. Best, Jim

2003 Eaglepoint Ranch, Grenache: Too jammy for me (although, when served with blue cheese toasts, it was a nice counterpoint) with solid acids and a focused delivery. 2004 Pepière, Muscadet: As always, delicious, bright, happy juice. Buy by the case. Dinner with Bob and Letta: With smoked trout stuffed endive: 2002 Baumard, Savenièrres: Wonderful with the dish; cut through the saline elements of the food and yet maintained a certain dry, chenin driven minerality that enhanced the smoky, salt-air essence of the fish spread. With grilled scallops and shrimp with salsa verde: 1996 R. & V. Dauvissat, Chablis Les Clos: Closed at first but, with time, opened to reveal a lemon-edged viscosity that accompanied the seafood beautifully; curiously, it closed back down later in the evening. ‘Hard to figure, but expressive and exceptional with the food when it was with us. With . . . nothing at all: 2001 Texier, Côte-Rôtie: Showing very youthful and primary but still, loaded with character and terroir from first sip to last; mineral, bacon, smoky, fleshy fruit, fine tannins, evident complexity, depth, and a long finish with a reprise of fruit and earth, or two – a syrah that makes me understand why the appellation is second to none with this variety. Hold . . . and then hold a bit longer – what a wine! Best, Jim

Lucky to know someone who does, I believe. Drop by; Diane will cook and we'll open one together. You could do worse . . . Best, Jim

1999 Hamacher, Pinot Noir: If more people in this country made pinot noir like this, I’d buy more domestic pinot noir. If you have ever had the chance to taste wild strawberries and wild raspberries, you know how different they are from the cultivated versions – a more penetrating flavor, an earthier tone, maybe a harder edge to them – more the essence of the fruit than the fruit itself. This wine captures that essence, both on the nose and palate, with a balanced intensity. There is a chalky edge to the texture, very fine but substantial tannins, 13% alcohol, a very pleasant earth/leather/mushroom accent, and, a finish that not only persists but carries a flavor profile that changes from moment to moment. I’m guessing this is a decade from full maturity (possibly more); the fullness of the tannins, the slightly oaky note on the finish, the expansiveness of the fruit from when the bottle is first opened to last sip – all these lead me to decide to continue to cellar my remaining bottles. Still, I am happy to have tasted it now, and still happier to report that this is world class in quality, could be from no place other than Oregon, and, has a wonderful complexity and nuance to it that I have not found in any other domestic pinot noir. Simply superb. Best, Jim

2002 Chidaine, Montlouis Les Choisilles: Starts out sharp and angular but, with air, becomes harmonious and varietally correct; strongly flavored, complex and very long. Needs several years (maybe more) to round out but is still tasty today. ‘Lots of potential. 2002 Lapierre, Morgon: Geranium scented nose with light cherry fruit; high-toned and a bit brittle in the mouth although some of the geranium is gone, balanced and identifiable as Beaujolais. Not for me. Others may find it bright and charming but, if I drink this again, it will likely be over ice (i.e. sangria) or, if I want to roll the dice, at least a decade out. (Once again, I wonder about the non-use of sulpher by this house. This wine gives the impression that sorbic acid was used to stabilize it rather than the traditional sulpher regimen. And if that’s the case, the wine has suffered for it. I have had very good wines from Lapierre but, when this occurs, I lean toward purchasing other producer’s wines that do not exhibit inconsistency; this is not the first bottle of the 2002 that has shown this way.) 2002 Clos de la Roilette (Coudert), Fleurie: And here is an example of a consistent producer - one that seems to produce fine wine every year and is always less expensive than Lapierre to boot; slightly muted nose still shows solid black and red fruit with spice accents; medium weight in the mouth with flavors that echo the nose and a well integrated, layered, nicely balanced delivery; medium length. This bottle showed very close to ready (which was unexpected) so I will be opening another in the near future just to see if it was a single bottle phenomenon. Best, Jim

I would think so but, as you say, its a pretty ambiguous description. Best, Jim

2004 Ocone, Falanghina Taburno: Correct, elements of sweet gum on the nose and palate, good complexity but falls short of being complete. Pleasant and interesting but little else. Diane says odd – I agree. 1998 Mommessin, Clos de Tart: Young, disjointed, oaky but, curiously, not unappealing; its Burgundy, it’s pretty much identifiable as Morey and then . . . well, then everything sort of goes ca-flooey. Either this needs time in the cellar or it needs to be sold off to others – I can’t tell which. 1999 Lafrage, Volnay Vendage Sélectionées: This on the other hand, is integrated, focused, all about cherry pit fruit and so damn expressive it’s hard to explain in words – utterly Volnay and really showing well although in no danger of heading south. A lovely and fascinating wine. Best, Jim

2002 Martinsancho, Rueda: Spicy, clean, focused and long; lovely with appetizers. Drink now. 2000 Thomas, Pinot Noir: Youthful with a substantial salty-mineral element on the nose and palate, crisp acidity, elegant fruit, good length. Good now but, likely, better later. 2002 Dom. Chantemerle (Boudin), Chablis Fourchaume: Viscous but delineated, layered but integrated, intense without being overdone; and utterly Chablis. All the paradoxes and balance of a great wine in its youth. N/V Zardetto, Proseco: Light, barely sweet and zesty, medium bead, good acidity, and terrific with sweet potato soup. 2002 Terres Dorees (Brun), Beaujolais L’Ancien VV: Like it was bottled yesterday with no hint of reduction and plenty of acidity. Solid but showing young. Hold. 2004 Dom. Pepière (Ollivier), Muscadet Clos des Briords VV: Clean, precise, perfumed and mouth-watering; like drinking from a mountain stream. As it warms, it takes on more character and depth but retains focus. Still showing very young but surely one of the finest white wines I have had in some time. Breathtaking. Best, Jim

Two sons; you have been busy. Drop me a line when you're headed up; 'love to meet them. Best, Jim

In 1973, I was 26 years old, my daughter was born, and, one of my best friends, then 24, died of complications due to alcoholism. Sometimes, I think what I would have missed if I had done likewise. Heaven knows, I was on the same path. So every once and awhile, I take a break from wine (and other alcoholic beverages). Mostly, just show myself that I can, lose a few pounds and keep a sense of perspective. But in some part, in consideration of both my daughter and all the time I have had and will continue to have with her, and, my late friend and all the time we didn’t and won’t ever have together. For the past several weeks, I have been on the wagon – but I’m back. 2004 J. Drouhin, Morgon: Correct, precise and restrained; I think, hiding a depth and structure that will serve it well medium term. Good now, probably better tomorrow. 1999 G. Robin, Crozes Hermitage, Cuvée Alberic Bouvet: Slightly closed the first day but still a fine drink; the second day, a prime example of its variety but it might be mistaken for good Côte-Rôtie. Exceptional, complex and showing no signs of fade; quite the contrary, excellent development. 2004 Descendientes de J. Palacios, Bierzo Pétalos: Very concentrated and evident but very fine, chalky tannins with good balance and intensity. Nothing thick or over-done here; bodes well for a future in the cellar but delicious with stronger flavored fare today. 2002 Tamellini, Soave Classico Anguane: Ah, Soave . . . spicy, crystalline, lively and complex; all one could want in a white wine to serve along side pasta with lemon shrimp. Beautiful. 1995 Caprai, Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni: Initial aromas of warm earth, cooked fruit and leather, becomes more oaky with time; still substantial tannins but not overwhelming (anymore) with solid fruit and mineral tones and too much wood. Pretty good when served with assorted cheeses, not especially pleasant on its own. 1999 Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers: Poured one short pour upon opening and left the bottle open for four hours; youthful, complex and obviously Nuits, this is of a whole cloth; delicious today but the quality is so recognizable that there is little doubt it is on its way to being a great wine. Hold. Best, Jim

Blasphemer ← I hope not. Best, Jim

Your present behavior is perfect; you get good wine at a good price and you have a chance to try whatever is new, should you wish to. I can't imagine a better way to get into wine; and I do encourage you to try something new when the opportunity presents itself. As for keeping wine; I would not do it unless I had a proper storage unit, be it cellar or stand-alone cooler; and those are pretty substantial investments. The wine store (assuming you are dealing with a good one) is a free storage unit; for as long as that is sufficient for your needs, take advantage of it. Aging wine is ALWAYS a dice roll. Some producers give better odds than others but the risk never goes away. So factor that into your plans, as well. I have been drinking fine wine for forty years. The first twenty, I did exactly what you're doing. It worked for me. Best, Jim

There are, quite literally, too many to name. First, if you would like to try something else from Austria, the sauvignons and chardonnays are pretty unique, to say nothing of the bone-dry rieslings that are produced there. For sauvignon, try Nigl; for chardonnay, Prager; for riesling, Knoll, Hertzberger, Nigl, Nikoliahof, F.W. Pichler, and many more. Elsewhere, suggestions abound: Soave - garganega is the grape of the Soave region in Italy, although most of the industrial grade plonk in the U.S. market (and by that I mean Bolla, et al) is more likely from trebbiano. Try producers like Pieropan, Inama, Anselmi, Gini and others. They do several different cuvees, from a bottom-end Soave Classico, to single vineyard wines - all are worth a try - some are astoundingly good. Italy has a number of other beautiful, mineral driven whites, such as Fiano de Avalino, Greco de Tufo, Arneis, Tocai, Vermentino, Vernaccia, Grechetto, and on and on (read Vino Italiano, by Bastianich and Lynch). In Spain, many Rueda are wonderful with food as are Albarino, Godello, Parellada, Xarel-lo, etc. In the Loire, Romorantin, Chenin Blanc, Muscadet, and Sauvignon are some of the most mineral driven wines anywhere. How about good, steely Chablis or a Rousanne or Marsanne from the Rhone? We are just scratching the surface here with lots of fine producers in each region turning out examples of their variety to be proud of. My Dad used to order what he could not pronounce or had no idea what it was when he went out to eat. Fortunately, most of the wines noted above are inexpensive so - why not do the same with white wine? So much good wine . . . Best, Jim

Victoria Valley Vineyards is a new winery and vineyard facility outside of Cleveland, South Carolina. For locals, it’s on the Cherokee Foothills Parkway (SC 11) near Table Rock. It has released wine for just two years, has a nicely sloped vineyard area and quite an impressive winery and tasting room. It doesn’t yet put the vintage on the label. It releases three tiers of quality; the House wines at $9/bottle; the Select wines at about $14/bottle and the Signature Series at about $21/bottle. We tasted the Select Chardonnay (12.5% alcohol) and it was pleasant with a vanillin nose and relatively straight-forward fruit; the Signature “Silk” (a blend of viognier and chardonnay; 13% alcohol) which was viscous, serious wine with just a hint of vanillin; the Signature “Pulse” (possibly a blend of merlot and syrah; 13% alcohol) which was obviously from young vines and a bit green, and, the Signature viognier (12.4% alcohol) which just blew me away – this is a world class viognier with good depth and cut, no evidence of oak, beautiful ripe flavors of peach, nuanced complexity and a salty minerality; all in a perfectly balanced and very long delivery. ‘Amazing for young fruit from a little known area. The wines are, I am told, only sold at the winery and I have no idea (but doubt) that they will ship. But the next time I’m headed north, I will stop for some of this viognier. We also tasted the 2003 Belle Pente, Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton: which showed very young but quite ripe and integrated, even for its youth. Give this one a year or so in the cellar. And lastly, a 1999 Tain-L’Hermitage, Cornas that smelled of dirt and tasted dirty and bit hollow – not a wine I would buy, even at the sale price of $19. Best, Jim

2001 Dom. Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay Caillerets, Ancienne Cuvée Carnot: Brooding and powerful dark fruit, fine tannins, earthy scents and flavors; smoothes and broadens somewhat with air and shows good depth and balance. Needs another 5 years, minimum. Impressive. 2002 Baumard, Savennières: Texture of light cream; flavors and scents of dried flowers, chamomile, lemon, quince, peach, apricot, mineral water, etc.; fresh, lyrical, complex and fleshy with good depth, acidity and balance; very precise and of its place; endless finish. Stellar juice. Locally this is about $17/bottle, full retail; it is under priced for what it delivers. I can’t say enough good things about this wine – and it will last and last . . . 2001 Giacosa, Nabbiolo d’Alba: Roses, black fruits and baker’s chocolate (dark); worsted texture; nowhere near peak and still mouth-wateringly delicious. Lunch with Sam and Jean: Hello: 2004 J.P. Droin, Chablis Vadésir: Tight on the nose and palate but even so, floral, spicy, steely and deep; a wine for the cellar and many, many years of enjoyment. Brilliant! With sautéed scallops with asparagus and artichoke hearts: 1999 Dom. Jean Chartron (not Chartron et Trebuchet, which is a négociant), Puligny-Montrachet Clos de Cailleret 1er: A monopole; balanced, correct, citric driven Puligny that is silky, smooth and polished – and, despite its attributes, it lends support to my predilection for fine Chablis over anything from the Côte de Beaune. Not even in the same world as the preceding Vadésir. With linguini with red clam sauce: 2000 Rocca Albino, Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi: Sometimes a nose is just a smell, better is a series of aromas, better still is a bouquet, best is a perfume – the ultimate Barbaresco perfume – a nose for the life list; not up to the nose on the palate but still wonderful with great integration, milk chocolate flavors and textures and a very long finish. What a wine! Excellent with the dish. Best, Jim