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The 2012 archive is presented by date the notes were compiled and submitted. Prior year’s tasting notes may be found here.

May 8, 2012

1999 Juge, Cornas Cuvée SC:
The best bottle out of the case so far; a velvet texture sans weight; Cornas on the nose and palate but the texture was extraordinary and the balance impeccable. The “Burgundy of Cornas” felt like Richebourg tonight. Find this wine

2002 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie Cuvée Tardive:
Somewhat closed on the nose and no immediate indicators of gamay; rich and deep in the mouth, black fruit more than red, Baker’s chocolate, brown spices and little that evokes Fleurie; good sustain. Lacks typicity but still a remarkable, arresting wine and delicious in its own way. Find this wine

2010 Dom. Chignard, Fleurie Les Moriers:
More typical of its place but also of its vintage which means a pretty big and dense Fleurie. Despite its volume, excellent acidity; this seems like it might go awhile; and probably needs it. But really lovely tonight with grilled chicken. Find this wine

And, for those evenings when wine simply won’t do, a very simple margarita: Whisk together 1 tbsp. light agave nectar and 1 tbsp. water. Pour thinned nectar, ¼ cup blue agave, highland, blanco tequila and 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice into shaker, add ice and shake until blended. Strain into low-ball glass and garnish with lime wedge. No blender; no salt. Finest kind.

Best, Jim

April 30, 2012

Navarro

Last week I was in the Anderson Valley looking at prospective pinot vineyards and stopped in at Navarro Vineyards and Winery. They make about everything that’s grown in the valley including some highly touted dessert wines and verjus. But for the last several years, the stand-out wine for me is their dry Muscat Blanc. The 2010 version is in release and I bought a case to take home. For those interested, its $19.00 a bottle and they ship it for a penny.  13% alcohol, 7.9 TA, and 3.25 pH; 460 cases produced. And just delicious; lip-smackingly so.
As always, I get a jasmine, honeysuckle nose with hints of orange blossom and ginger. Clear as mountain stream water in the mouth and bone dry with a nice finish. I don’t have much experience with dry muscat so I can’t really make comparisons. But this is life affirming stuff at a reasonable price. Find this wine

Best, Jim

April 11, 2012

Diane came back from NC with a little piece of our cellar; bless her heart . . .

1999 Alzinger, Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd:
Distinctly Austrian in origin; concentrated and sappy with a tangy acidity and an almond element that is at the outer edge of perception on the nose but clear and present in the mouth and on the finish. Symbiotic with ham and sweet potatoes. Find this wine

2006 Fillaboa, Albariño Monte Alto:
Medium golden color; expansive nose of cream soda, resin, spice and moss; deep and dense with a balanced and layered delivery that persists. The equal of a Cepas Villas at half the price. Find this wine

1999 Lafarge, Volnay 1er Cru:
Hard and closed, even with decanting and airing. Difficult to form any impression as to its future although it seems to have plenty of structure. Aging at a glacial pace. Find this wine

2004 Leroy, Bourgogne:
A nose somewhere between Arbois and Corton and quite complex; somewhat attenuated in the mouth but becomes smoother and more integrated with air. A delight, if an unusual one. Find this wine

2005 de Villaine, Mercury Les Montots:
Lovely nose that made me think Pommard; articulate and nervy in the mouth with bracing acids and good intensity; moderate length. Needs time but did very nicely with carbonara. Better later. Find this wine

Best, Jim

March 22, 2012

1990 Gentaz-Dervieux, Côte- Rôtie Côte Brune Cuvée Réservée:
12.5% alcohol; a truly harmonious but complex nose with warmed red fruits, smoked bacon, pepper and hints of flowers and earth; medium bodied with enough grip to make me think this has years left, flavors that follow the nose and the texture of worsted wool; lovely balance and a long, intricate finish. There is such a sense of completeness here and yet still some rusticity in the tannins. Benchmark Côte- Rôtie.  A life list wine for me; very, very special. Find this wine

Thanks Dave.

Best, Jim

February 19, 2012

In an effort to continue my sherry education, I decided to splurge on the following bottles. I had heard and read a number of notes about this producer (although not these specific wines) and concluded that they must do excellent work. After tasting these wines, I will be far more skeptical of other opinions as I did not care for either of these.

My tastes run to fresher, lighter versions; to wines that are appetizing and charming. As for instance, I recently ate at Nopa and, while waiting for a table, tasted a beautiful Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla that that fit my criteria and made me wish we would be seated sooner.

But these recent purchases I found heavy-handed and tending toward pasada, in the case of the manzanilla, and amontillado, in the case of the fino. They were aggressive and powerful, and well beyond any sense of charm.

Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Manzanilla #22:
15% alcohol and about $40; smells of roasted (and burnt) nut liquor, alcohol and bread dough; acidic in the mouth with an attack so powerfully (and overwhelmingly) flavored that I catch myself wanting to spit it out; finished with a burn and a sourness I had not anticipated. No hint of salinity or sea air. Perhaps, if I add an equal quantity of water . . . Find this wine

Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Fino #24:
15.6% alcohol and about $60; much nicer on the nose than the above wine but tending still toward warm nuts; a bit thin in the mouth (which at this point is a relief) but chunky and in pieces, at times it seems to strain at freshness but eventually devolves into a listless, oxidized, old-fruit quality; finishes in a feeble and somewhat leaden manner. Find this wine

It appears that I will continue to be a “cheap date.”

Best, Jim

February 12, 2012

2001 Trimbach, Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile – 375th Anniversary:
I am told this bottling comes from the oldest vines in the vineyard and was harvested later than normal; initially the nose is very rich and full with honey-comb and pineapple syrup aromas but as the wine opens and warms, the nose gains focus and smells more of fresh fruit and mineral; much the same progression in the mouth with excellent concentration, a light creaminess and lovely balance; quite long.
I was able to taste this on two separate occasions over the last week and it was a great treat. Pricey stuff (around $90) but oh so delicious.
Very good with sole; fantastic with pork chop. Find this wine

2010 Abrente, Albariño:
A project from Morgan Twain-Peterson and Michael Havens from fruit grown on the only limestone outcropping in Napa Valley (actually, American Canyon); very fresh and bright with clear aromas and flavors of the variety, considerable spice that lends a piquant note, good balance and length. Excellent for drinking by itself but also really good with grilled veggies. About $20. Find this wine

2008 Sandler Family Winery, Syrah Connell Vnyd.:
14.1% alcohol; a Bennett Valley syrah that shows its place with some menthol, big blue/purple fruit and spice; not much in the way of pepper or meat but this is very young; gives some evidence of stem inclusion; big tannins. Needs considerable time but worked pretty well with pork. About $16. Find this wine

2009 Drouhin, Beaujolais-Villages:
A little disjointed at first but, with air, it smoothes into a lovely and lively gamay with character, spice and a bit of distinction that I would not have expected – tasted rather like Brouilly or MaV as opposed to villages. Very nice with mushroom pizza and also good all on its own. About $14. Find this wine

2010 Saladini Pilastri, Offida:
13.5%, pecorino grapes, certified organic; floral and spicy on the nose with citrus aromas; much the same on the palate – lots of structure and spice, intense, bright and longer than the flavors first suggest. Very easy to drink and good anywhere from refrigerator cold to room temp. With goat gouda, a delight. About $13. Find this wine

Best, Jim

January 16, Winter Whites, etc

Florida “winters,” warm as they are, often suggest white/pink wine and lighter meals. For those rare days when we hit the 40’s, we break out the reds. By the predominance of white/pink noted below, you can pretty much guess how mild our January has been.

Red:

2010 Achaval Ferrer, Malbec Mendoza:
14.5% alcohol; a big wine, quite concentrated, round, rich and bordering on overdone, but it is saved by the absence of apparent oak and a fairly complex flavor profile. Not a wine for anything but the rarest steak; not even assorted cheeses paired well. About $15.

So, on another day, I grilled a porterhouse (rare) and tried again; good pairing. There is an aroma that I think smells like wet nori but is probably oak related; it’s not unpleasant but unusual; the wine seems to lose some of its weight and richness and gain complexity with the steak. And it’s a more balanced pairing. No doubt, this wine was made for rare beef. Thanks Tom. Find this wine

(Aside: For the style of wine this is, it is well executed. But this is not a style of wine that I have much use for as I eat very little rare beef and find this kind of wine overwhelming in its absence.)

2008 Calluna Vineyards, Calluna Estate:
14.9% alcohol; a blend of 35% cab. sauvignon, 32% merlot, 18% malbec, 12% cab. franc, 3% petit verdot, from the Chalk Hill AVA; too much new oak at this young age but considerable spice on the nose and palate sourced therefrom; concentrated, rich and weighty but has plenty of acidity, plush tannins, some complexity, and good sustain. We had this with a red-sauced pasta with egg plant and chicken sausage and it went very well. But by itself, this is simply too young and big for me. No overt evidence of the alcohol but identifiably CA. Decant and have with food unless you like ‘em BIG. About $50. Find this wine

(Aside: In the rarified world of CA Cabernet, $50 is well under the norm. But $50 doesn’t sound inexpensive to me. Everything is relative, I suppose, but when I think of what else I can buy with that much money . . .)

Pink:

2010 Dom. Fontanyl, Côtes de Provence Rosé:
13% alcohol and a bottle that is similar to Dom. Ott; pale salmon color; strawberry and mineral nose; much the same in the mouth, bone dry with good cut and a touch of bitters at the end; clean finish. Fleshes out as it warms but never gets heavy. Pleasant with cheese and crackers on a warm winter’s day here in the sunshine state. About $13. Find this wine

White:

2010 Salandini Pilastri, Pecorino Offida:
13.5% alcohol, from the Marche; smells and tastes a great deal like Greco; its rich and oily but has a bitter note that keeps it from becoming cloying, even refrigerator cold this has weight and concentration. Went well with pasta primavera. About $13. Find this wine

2010 De Angelis, Lucrima Christi del Vesuvio:
13.5% alcohol and 60/40 caprettone/falanghina; white fruit and flower aromas; sappy flavors of white peach nectar (unsweet), resin and citrus; dry, intense, concentrated texture, good cut and quite persistent; a touch bitter on the finish. More complexity than expected and it becomes even more so as it warms in the glass; I like this and will buy it again. Good with white pizza but a pairing to remember with Caesar salad (and I eat a lot of Caesar salad). About $18. Find this wine

2010 Taburno, Fiano:
13% alcohol; a distinct vanilla note comes through with a touch mineral and clear white fruit scents; rich, almost full bodied in the mouth with an oily texture and plenty of cut to keep it in balance; medium finish. A big, concentrated wine with intensity. Not something I want to have a lot of but certainly attention getting; better, very cold. About $20. Find this wine

2009 Knoll, Grüner Veltliner Federspiel;
12% alcohol; smells of unripe pineapple, flowers, sassafras, warm rocks; medium weight, excellent cut, flavors follow the nose with concentration, intensity and balance, some mouth-watering jalapeño hints; excellent sustain and balance on the finish. Perfect counter-point to a salad with Russian dressing and toasted English muffin. About as precise and correct a Grüner as one could ask for but with an intensity and breadth that gives one a glimpse of what the grape can do at its best. About $22. Find this wine

(Aside: There are a few (very few) labels in the wine world that I will buy without consideration to vintage, appellation or pradikat; this is one of them. I have purchased wines from this producer for over twenty years and have yet to be disappointed. From the sonorous and powerful Schutt Vineyard rieslings to this charming and yet still arresting federspiel grüner, I have yet to run across a bottle that has not thrilled. Some more than others, I grant, but up and down the line-up, nobody does it better, year in, year out.
A label (despite its Baroque visage) to be trusted; and that is extraordinary.)

Best, Jim

January 4th, 2012 – Snake Farm

Ray Wylie Hubbard once noted that he shouldn’t ever write a song that he doesn’t want to sing regularly for the rest of his life (eg. “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mothers”). Equally, one should never make a wine one doesn’t want to drink almost as often. I have been pouring my wines for lots of different folks (in hopes of selling) and I always seem to come home with partials; hence my point.

However, when we are not finishing up the leftovers, we have had a few other wines to try:

A N/V Robert Moncuit, Champagne was nice for new year’s but it isn’t anything I’d buy again at $40. The 2010 Zenato, Lugana was acceptable, but just; the 2009 Drouhin, St. Veran a touch too oaky; a bottle of the 2009 Erath, Pinot Noir was a bit thin; the 2009 Edna Valley, Pinot Noir was pedestrian; and the latest incarnation of the N/V Gazela, Vinho Verde was too sweet. On the other hand, the 2009 Wild Horse, Pinot Noir was very charming; a bottle of the 2010 Taburno, Falinghina was rich and full flavored; the 2009 Poderi Dicarlo, Ribolla was complex and delicious (for $13) and the 2009 Rocca Felice, Nebbiolo (at $16) was so good a I bought a case.

Find Robert Moncuit Champagne
Find Zenato Lugana
Find Drouhin St. Veran
Find Erath Pinot Noir
Find Edna Valley Pinot Noir
Find Gazela Vinho Verde
Find Wild Horse Pinot Noir
Find Taburno Falinghina
Find Poderi Dicarlo Ribolla
Find Rocca Felice Nebbiolo

However, the most soulful and captivating wine I have been drinking lately (several bottles in the last two months) is the 2010 Carballo, Bujariego, La Palma from the Canary Islands (a Jose Pastor Selection). This wine with seafood and even shell fish is about as good as one could hope for; light, crisp, remarkably complex, saline and fresh. I can’t remember what this cost (I got it thru Selection Massale) but I think it was about $15. That is a hell of a QPR. Find this wine

BTW, Ray also notes that he likes singing his newer songs (eg. Choctaw Bingo; Screw You, We’re from Texas; Cooler-n-Hell; etc.). Good thing Diane and I like what I make, too.

Best, Jim
CowanCellars.com

Related posts:

1. Florida Jim Cowan’s 2009 Tasting Notes Archive
2. Florida Jim Cowan’s 2010 Tasting Notes Archive-Part One
3. Florida Jim Cowan’s 2011 Tasting Notes Archive-Part One
4. December 22nd – Florida Jim Cowan’s 2010 Tasting Notes Archive-Part 2
5. December 10, 2011 Florida Jim Cowan’s 2011 Tasting Notes Archive-Part Two

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