Another eclectic wine tasting, with the main focus on Italy (Piemonte, to be precise).
La Buxynoise Montagny Premier Cru 2001 (Burgundy, France)
16.5-17/20
Bought from the winery some years ago. Medium gold, open nose with some developed (but not fully mature) Chardonnay characters. A touch tropical, a touch mineral. Ample, full palate, well balanced. Lovely, strong, medium-length finish. Mature, but perhaps a touch short of its peak. I would chance keeping another bottle 2-3 years more.
This is their best white Montagny. I’ve had some old Montagny Premier Cru wines this good (if not better) from La Buxynoise before, but also some real stinkers – corked, aged and just wrong (all bought at the winery). But when it gets this good I can forgive them. Value for money, this wine is hard to beat in this area of Burgundy. 13%.
Gérard Mugneret Bourgogne Passetoutgrain 2004 (Burgundy, France)
15/20
Sourced from the Wine Society, this is the typical Passetoutgrain blended Gamay and Pinot Noir. Light, brick red rim. Light, red fruit and a little floral; open and rather earthy pinot rusticity underlying this. Thin on the palate with fair acidity. Little tannin. This is not at all serious, but is enjoyable. Best suited to a summers day as a lightly-chilled easy-drinker with a good sized dish of the local fayre.
Domaine de la Chevalerie ‘Chevalerie’ 2001 (Bourgueil, Touraine)
16.5-17/20
Very open on the nose. Tea leaves, cedar. Rather aristocratic in nature (ironic given Chinon was always taken to be so, with Bourgueil the rustic relative). Developed and mature. Tannins are now delicate, unassuming but there remains a core of fruit matched by ample acidity albeit it in a lighter than usual style. Delicate and lasting finish. Textbook, and a testament to their winemaking skill given the vintage. Traditional Loire, this is looking to partner a good meal. Fine.
At some point I must type up my tasting notes from visiting this winery - remarkable, age-worthy traditional wines, that offer excellent value for money.
Cascina Orsolina ‘Caminata’ Barbera d’Asti 2003 (Piedmont, Italy)
15.5/20
Bought from the winery in 2006 and cellared at home. Bright red with a watery rim. Open nose, all primary red fruit and cherry. Fruit driven, tasty palate with typical Barbera (and northern Italian) high acidity. Palate is forward, still primary fruits. Light tannin. Approachable, generous and gluggable. Needs pizza and pasta. Drink now. 12.5%, which is surprising as it comes across more heady than this.
Cascina Orsolina ‘Bricco dei Cappuccini’ Superiore 2003 (Piedmont, Italy)
16(++)/20
Similarly bought from the winery in 2006 and cellared at home. As the ‘Bricco’ title suggests (Piemontese term for the vineyard summit, supposedly the best sites) this is their heavyweight Barbera Superiore, oak aged and a more serious proposition. Noctieably a little darker in colour than the Caminata, this has a deeper and more concentrated nose of cherry mixed with black spice. Some vanilla is still perceptible, but well integrated. The palate is full and round, though perhaps lacking in some of the depth that the lead-up suggests it will have. Nonetheless, this is intense and enjoyable. Leathery, balanced by red cherry fruit and neat acidity cutting right through. Perceptible tannin lines the mouth and a persistent finish. This has several more years ahead of it and it will be interesting to open another bottle in 3-4 years time. 13.5%.
NB. On second tasting this improved further, with dense bramble and cocoa characters coming through. Very rich.
Bricco Maiolica ‘Cumot’ Nebbiolo d’Alba 2003 (Piedmont, Italy)
‘Cumot’ is a Nebbiolo wine from this highly regarded winery. Characteristically light-cherry in colour, even lighter than a comparable pinot noir. Open nose redolent of the classical rose-water notes, though perhaps without much else. Palate has a soft start before a strong tannic bite hits. Light red fruit are to the fore in this well-balanced wine with a relatively short finish. It’s doubtful this wine isn’t going to offer more with further keeping. Drink now. 14%.
NB. On second tasting this had lost much of the rose-water character and seemed a little hollow. Drink up.
Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2001 (Piedmont, Italy)
This Barbaresco ‘normale’ is a generic local wine from this most famous of Italian co-operative producers. It's produced every year, but in the best vintages the Cru vineyard components are vinified and sold separately.
Bought following a tasting at the winery in 2006. Colour is pale and innocent, nose a little subdued, not typical Nebbiolo, and then on tasting the tannins quietly creep up behind you and smash a baseball bat into your mouth. Gripping doesn’t come close – ripping would be a better way of describing it. This is not a criticism in any way; this is traditional characteristic of these wines from Barbaresco (and neighbouring Barolo). This is meat and tar; no international style crowd-pleaser, something much more true and serious. Good length with the typical bitter-cherry bite. It is difficult to see how this will develop from here. There is certainly enough stuffing in it to go on, but I can’t say I have a feel for which direction that will be in and whether it will actually improve. I suspect not. 14%. 16/20.
NB. On second tasting this had evolved slowly, and in the company of Italian meats the tannins were calmly subdued leaving a much more rounded wine. Not something to be tasted/drunk in isolation.
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