Vinexpo--I Came, I Saw, I Spat. Part 1

[jparrott]

In the following few posts, I will present my notes from two-and-a-half days of schmoozing and spitting at VinExpo Americas, at the Javits Convention Center, October 22-24. First, some general observations.

1. Not that many people there. Had to be disappointing for the producers who came seeking importers.

2. Not that many big names there. Almost none of the top smaller producers (Ogier, etc., most of whom had no reason to be there), and a lot of swill. Again not that surprising, just a bit disappointing.

3. Many of the booths seemed designed only to receive friends of the exhibitor. A bit silly, don't you think?

4. The Austrians produced the best booths, the friendliest staffers (including the tireless Michael Thurner, the head of the Austrian wine marketing board), and totally awesome dry, sweet and red wines. Almost every TBA I tasted at these tables was better than any Kracher I'd ever had. The wines were expressive, mineral, balanced, as well as flamboyant.

5. Finally, my empirically-based guide to getting through these huge tastings:

a. Always have some champagne to start.

b. Always have some champagne after each 24 or so reds.

c. Get to know one or more of the champagne pourers so you can have the good stuff for your palate-rinsing.

d. Look for typicity in wines rather than a bunch of specific flavor characteristics.

e. Spit. Duh.

f. Talk with your pourers. It'll help you gather your thoughts about each wine and make sure you don't taste wines too quickly.

g. Write down your nose notes before you taste the wine. Same reason as above.

This first post covers the first morning and early afternoon. No real focus here, just a lot of wines.

NV Thienot Brut, Champagne: Soft, doughy, a bit fat, like an apple dumpling.Low acid?

NV Joseph Perrier Brut, Champagne: Strong pinot meunier character, floral, a bit earthy

1995 Joseph Perrier Brut, Champagne: Oaky, bread crust, strong green raisins and toast, long, spicy finish. Very nice.

2000 Paul Blanck Pinot Auxerrois: light and floral, lemon candy, a bit soft

2000 Paul Blanck, Riesling Patergarten: ripe minerals and lime zest, taut, bit fruitier on the palate but well grounded in quartz and flowers

2000 Paul Blanck, Pinot Gris Patergarten: Coconutty, ripe grapefruit, very crystalline and long. Very nice TPG.

1999 Paul Blanck, Riesling Schlossberg: Ripe slate, almost fruitless (but in a good way) on the nose, lithe texture but turning unfocused. Reflects the vintage.

2000 Paul Blanck, Riesling Schlossberg: Very focused, rich and floral, very long, complex fruit, a lot of baby fat but an iron core. Pulsating. Beautiful.

1999 Paul Blanck, Riesling Furstentum: A bit honeyed and peachy, with some loose minerals and raw sugar. More complex on the palate, but still soft. Drink soon but pretty nice.

1999 Paul Blanck, Gewurtztraminer Furstentum: Very harmonious, chalk, rose and lychee, still honeyed, but with an austere core of caramelized basil and smoke. Perfumed and focused. Very good for 1999.

2000 Louis Jadot, Beaune-Greves "Clos Blanc": Perfumed on the nose, but more chunky on the palate, like a white Pommard. Creamy with some nondescript apple and oak spice. Drink soon.

2000 Louis Jadot, Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne "Domaine de Duc de la Magenta": Tight and chalky, with restrained butteriness. Very tight, or perhaps just dilute. An aging gamble, but may put on weight.

2000 Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Blanc: Floral and waxy, a bit muted. Flabby.

2001 Guigal St-Joseph Blanc: High-toned, a bit oaky but not harsh. Perfumed, but short.

2001 Guigal St-Joseph Blanc "Clos St.-Joseph": Stinky and oaky. A mess.

2001 Guigal Condrieu: Classic nose, not as oaky as past versions, a but milky on the palate, spicy, a bit low in acid. Drink soon. Not anywhere close to Villard but decent Condrieu.

2001 Guigal Condrieu "La Doriane": Strong oak, but the concentration allows the oak to show perfume instead of harshness. Better acid makes this a roller-coaster ride

of expensive viognier. Good for the style and appealing to those who like it.

NV Taittinger Prestige Rose, Champagne: Light cherry, but mostly lemon and dough. A bit coarse and offputtingly earthy, a bit unripe. Doesn't taste like a rose.

1996 Taittinger, Brut La Francaise, Champagne: Crystalline, ripe apple and complex florality. Long and citric. Very young. Very, very, very good.

1995 Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Champagne: Toasty and earthy, in the pinot noir style. Chalky finish.Very tight. Right now, the 1996 La Francaise is considerably better.

1995 Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne Rose, Champagne: Beautiful

strawberry nose, defined earth and honey accents, very long. Incredible.

2001 Cave Kouroum de Kefraya Blanc de Noir (Cinsault, still): Bit diffuse, mineral, bit pinot-blanc like, tighter and more mineral on the finish.

1999 Cave Kouroum de Kefraya Cinsault Rouge: Bit light, black cherry and earthy but not well-structured.

2001 Vignerons de Saumur blanc (cooperative): Very nice, ripe flowers, rich, focused apple and dry honey. Long, lemon-mineral finish. Very nice.

2001 "Folies Siffaint" Muscadet-Coteaux de Loire: Very soft for Muscadet, no real core.

2001 Domaine de Hautes Noelles Muscadet Sevre et Maine: Crystalline, very ripe, which obscures the mineral core. Early drinker, not like the Pepiere wines that age several years.

2000 Domaine de Haites Noelles Muscadet Sevre et Maine "M": 30% new oak. Juicy, a flash of Chassagne character but turning muddled. Why?

2000 Chateau Plaisance Blanc (1er Cotes de Bordeaux): 100% Semillon, holds it oak well, with a surprising herbal core. Lithe and a nice value. More generally, 2000 dry white Bordeaux is looking to be a nice value.

2001 Sella & Mosca Vermentino "La Cala": Bit diffuse, good minerality but not balanced.

2000 Sella & Mosca Vermentino DOCG "Montoro": Rich, rocky texture, perfumed. Very nice and very long.

2001 Sella & Mosca Alghero "Arenarie" (sauvignon blanc): Wild herbs, with a succulent texture and full fruit. Delineated and long. Very nice and expressive sauvignon.

2001 Moreau Chablis: Bit honeycomb, some chalk but a ripe core. Good basic Chablis.

2000 Moreau Chablis Vaillons: Sharper and more taut, with pulsating lemon and quartz character. Almost too ripe. Not my favorite terroir, but a nice expression, if too ripe.

2000 Moreau Chablis Les Clos: Purer than the Vaillons, with ripe chalk and pure, dry honey and lime. Very complex already, with a long life and a spicy, mineral, lactic finish. A triumph.

1998 Moreau Chablis Bougros: Less ripe, but very taut apple and lemongrass, with a ripe mineral finish. Producer over vintage.

1996 Moreau Chablis Vaucopins: Shut and a bit metallic, with lemon oil and raw citrus. Put it away for 10 yrs.

2001 Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner Federspiel "Terrassen": Formerly known as Freie Weingartner Wachau. A vineyard blend. Piquant nose of ripe veggies and white pepper, round and fruity on the palate, with a peppery edge. Great value.

2001 Domaine Wachau Weissenkirchner Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd: Bit honeyed on the mineral nose, very closed with roasted apple character. Very long. Very pure.

2001 Domaine Wachau Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd: More herbal with an overt mineral character, honeyed and lemony. Not complex, yet, but very

nice.

2001 Domaine Wachau Riesling Federspiel "Terrassen": Vineyard blend. Very, very spicy. A big wine, very approachable. Could sell like hotcakes.

2001 Domaine Wachau Weissenkirchner Achleiten Riesling Smaragd: Very, very tight, with minerals overpowering the apple and lime core. Complex, oily, with a great future. Very ripe, floral finish. Wow.

2001 Domaine Wachau Loibner Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd: Tighter than the Achleiten, chalkier and more lemony. Like 1995 Trimbach Frederic Emile-tight.

2001 Domaine Wachau Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd: Volcanic nose, with very ripe, red fruit, very Nahe-like. Focused. Enormous. A 50-year wine.

2001 Domaine Wachau Riesling TBA: Vineyard blend. Bitter, volcanic botrytis nose, burnt honey and hot rocks. More botrytis than fruit on the palate, but impossibly deep, with a wonderfully perfumed finish. Needs 50 years, but glorious and so much more characterful than any Kracher.

2000 Masi bianco "Serego Alighieri": Honey and wild herbs, very rich, very Veneto sauvignon. Pulsating.

1999 Masi Campofiorin: Heavy oak and butter on the nose, but more defined on the raspy, leathery palate. Tight, with balanced tannins. Needs time for the oak to integrate.

1999 Masi Amarone "Costasera": Dark, rich, pure, fruit-driven nose. Chocolatey, almost botrytis-like, with very sweet fruit. A bit acid-deficient on the otherwise complex finish.

1995 Masi Amarone "Mazzano": Leathery, high-toned, beautiful nose. Tight, cherry-earth palate with no real oak influence. Needs 15 years but very well balanced.

1996 Masi Amarone "Serego Alighieri" Vaio: Port-like nose, with substantial leather character. Licorice chimes in on the impossibly deep finish, with succulent

acidity. Needs many, many years but will be wonderful.

1998 Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva: Deep cherry, with ripe earth and substantial oak. Wood tannins dominate the palate.

1999 Antinori Tignanello: Some leather on the candied nose. Well-structured, with characteristic Tuscan mustiness. Sweet tannin. Very nice.

1997 Antinori Brunello di Montalcino "Pian della Vigne": Pure nose of must, roasted cherry and clay. Wood overpowers the palate, with insufficient acid. Nope.

1999 Antinori Bolgheri Superiore "Guado al Tasso": Minty, cassis nose. Smells

expensive. More characterful attack with mint and some wood tannin under the black fruit. Will be awkward for a long time.

NV Piper-Heidseck Brut Champagne: Toasty, bit raw butter nose, some white fruit and flowers and an attractive honeyed edge. Nice entry-level, better than in the past.

NV Piper-Heidseck Brut Champagne (special, red-leather-wrapped bottling): Honeycomb and toast, even more honeyed, some leather and pear, with dough accents in the backpalate and spicy, fruity finish. Nice, though a bit flabby.

NV Charles Heidseck Brut Reserve: Coconut, flowers and burnt toast on the nose, but a summery, lithe palate of ripe citrus and flowers. Long finish with apricot

accents. Very nice.

1995 Charles Heidseck Brut: Very young, with ample Savennieres character, creamy and floral with a tight, spicy, minty finish. Needs time but very nice.

1990 Charles Heidseck Brut Blanc de Blancs "Millenaires": Beautiful golden color, earthy and rich, with peach, toast and custard characteristics. Long and fresh, but

unfocused finish. Drink soon.

2001 Caves de Vignerons de Saumur, Saumur rouge: Candied, with raw herb. Better on the palate but little sophistication.

2001 Caves de Vignerons, Saumur "Croix Vert": More buttery, with better definition, but still flabby.

2001 Caves de Vignerons, Saumur-Champigny: Roasty, with some tobacco character. Soft.

2000 Clos Lysardiere Chinon: Roasty, but more lithe on the palate, with black fruit. Flabby finish but a nice quaff.

2000 Chateau de Riviere Chinon: Focused and complex, with good cherry-tobacco typicity. Rich finish.

2000 Caves de Vignerons, Bourgueil "Philippe de Valois": Bit reduced, but nice dark fruit. Sweet tannins but loses focus on the finish.

1997 Cave de Grand Vins de Bourgueil, Bourgueil "Vinee du Roy": Oaky, but still good character. Drink now.

1998 Fazi Battaglia Vino Nobile de Montepulciano "Pasiteo": Dark and oaky, with nice earth accents, turning more harmonious.

1995 Fazi Battaglia Vino Nobile de Montepulciano "Salarco": Truffled leather, with succulent acidity and dark cherry and plum. Old-school and very nice.

2001 Fazi Battaglia Rosso del Montepulciano "Selciaia": Plummy and spicy, focused and long. Nice.

1998 Fazi Battaglia Rosso Conero Riserva "Passo del Lupo":Plummy, oaky. Could be from anywhere. Needs time.

2001 Cooperativa Baga "Beiras Vineyards": Portugese. Lite cherry and real dusty character, with some nice herb on the finish. The first of a progression of beautiful Portuguese reds.

2000 Marques de Marialva Bairrada "Baga": Very ripe, with a little volatility. Star anise, leather, red plum and cherry, with classic sweet Bairrada tannins. Nice.

2000 Marques de Marialva Bairrada "Reserva Seleccionada": Cahors like, with big black fruit and chunky structure, but lither on the palate, with tobacco and a bit of herb. Very, very long. Wow.

1997 Conte de Cantanhede Bairrada Reserva: Bit milk chocolate, dark cherry and licorice. Intense and harmonious, an accurate harbinger for the younger wines.

1996 Marques de Marialva Bairrada "Reserva Seleccionada": Very Barolo-like, with cherry and tar characters and a long, floral, finish.

1998 Chateau Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard St. Emilion: Black fruit and leather, very harmonious and ripe. Licorice and herb accent the finish. Very nice.

1997 Chateau Cissac Haut-Medoc: Bit leathery and raw oak on the nose, with classic pencil and cassis scents. Green tannin detracts.

1999 Les Fiefs de Lagrange St. Julien: Toasted wood nose, bit underfruited and already maturing. No thanks.

1999 Reserve de la Comtesse Pauillac: Rich and toasty, with plum and herb, but an offputting buttery finish.

1998 Chateau Senejac Haut-Medoc: Bit sauvage and asphalt character, a lot of cab-franc aspects. Dark plum, tobacco and herb. Drink soon but nice for modest Bordeaux.

1998 Chateau Prieure-Lichine Margaux: Very oaky and toasty. Tastes like a concentrator machine was used.

NV Mont Marcal Cava "Extramarium": Lots of mineral in the nose here, with honey and apple character and a harmonious, quartz finish.

NV Mont Marcal Cava "Gran Reserva": Toasty and earthy, a bit coarse.

1999 Chateau Florestan, 1er Cotes de Bordeaux: Cheap oak, candied and herbal. Blah.

1999 Chateau Plaisance, 1er Cotes de Bordeaux: Harmonious cherry and herb, complex and lithe. Good value.

2000 Chateau Plaisance, 1er Cotes de Bordeaux: Much like the 1999, but riper, with plum and tobacco accents.Very nice and great value.

2001 Collavini Pinot Grigio Collio: Almondy and lemony, but diffuse.

2001 Vietti Roero Arneis: Oily and rich, with typical almond and apple. Long.

2000 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne: Bit buttery and candied, turning richer on the finish. An enigma.

1998 Vietti Barbera d'Asti La Crena: Minty, with fancy wood lending too much sharp tannin.Plum and wood. Wood. Wood.

1999 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Scarrone: Leathery, oaky, hot. Not as bad as that sounds, but still...

1998 Vietti Nebbiolo Langhe "Perbacco": Spicy, tar and floral accents. Approachable and leathery. Very nice but very small production.

1998 Vietti Barbaresco Masseria: Jammy, with rich cherry and leather accents. Tangy and approachable.

1997 Vietti Barolo Castiglione: Spicy, ripe and focused, with cigar and ripe plum accents. Turns more focused. Very long.

1997 Vietti Barolo Rocche: Dark and ripe, but chocolatey and torrefacted. Needs a ton of time.

2001 Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d'Asti: Floral nose, but raw sugary palate.