Misc. notes

[Florida Jim]

2002 Byron, Pinot Noir:

Simple, tastes manipulated, woody and bordering on objectionable. Use for sangria.

1997 Paloma, Syrah:

Best showing so far as it has shed some of its monolithic and slick delivery to become somewhat complex and less candied. Still won’t hold with a good Crozes but not bad.

1999 J. Drouhin, Vosne-Romanee:

A consistently good producer of village Vosne, this is chocked full of flavor, quite intense, concentrated without feeling extracted, nicely balanced and delivers complexity that includes a refined spiciness. Will cellar medium term but drinks well now with a little decanter time. Excellent.

2000 J.P. Droin, Chablis Les Clos:

Superb and just beginning to drink well. Lovely lemon-honey aromatics with hints of flowers, steel, spice and earth; viscous and marrowy in the mouth with ripe fruit, lots of mineral, spice and earth accents, excellent depth and absorbing complexity, balanced, concentrated and intense; long finish. More complexity and more persuasive than a recent 2000 Raveneau, Clos, but not quite the refinement of a recent 2000 Dauvissat Les Preuses. A terrific wine.

Aside:

I know people that intentionally avoid this producer based on his use of oak. And indeed, I am no fan of wood in my Chablis. But recent tastes of the 2000 grand crus from Droin show no overt wood and, if Raveneau and Dauvissat can use oak and have the wines unmarked by it, there is no reason to believe that Droin can’t. Further, these wines are a bargain when compared to Dauvissat and Raveneau.

Best, Jim