Florida Jim Cowan’s Tasting Notes

All notes, except as otherwise noted, were from bottles that were opened and drunk with a meal over an extended period.  The 2009 archive is divided into the following categories:  Bubbles, Red, White and Rosé – Florida Jim Cowan

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WHITES

2007 Louis Michel, Chablis Montmain:
Clean and tart; a wine of depth, individuality, excellent balance and length. It screams Chablis and cuts almost any food it is served with. At 13% and about $20 (screwcap) it’s a no brainer. Find this wine

2007 Louis Michel, Chablis Forêts:
Richer and fuller than the Montmain but every bit as much cut and steeliness. The closer it gets to room temp. the more open and accessible it becomes. 13% and about $20 (real cork). Find this wine

2007 Arca Nova, Vinho Verde:
A lovely drop, this. Smells of river rocks, unripe pears and a lightly herbaceous tone (nothing green – more like fresh picked marjoram); a delicate spritz, quite dry, gentle flavors that follow the nose and a clean, medium length finish. 10.5% alcohol, $8 and exactly what I want from this DOC. Drink now. Find this wine

2005 Pieropan, Soave Calvarino:
Diane made a dish of white beans, broth, chard, onions, garlic, bacon and red pepper flakes and served it with fococcia – I thought this had the backbone and stuffing to pair. Very good, indeed, and certainly my benchmark for fine garganega. Find this wine

1999 Hirtzberger, Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel:
For those who know Austrian wine it will be no surprise that I think this is great wine – a fine producer, superb terroir and a terrific vintage. What may surprise though, is the elegance and freshness here – there is nothing outsized, angular or muted; it is as though it were bottled yesterday at the peak of its aging curve. Depth, balance, precision and above all focus – like a beam of light that has been minutely adjusted to fit the taster alone. When a wine is this centered and pure, all the other stimuli around wanes; it’s a beautiful thing. Find this wine

2006 Pépière, Muscadet Clos des Briords VV:
Quite dry; crystal clear in the mouth with lots of mineral tones and focused fruit. A lovely wine at its “shelf-life” beginning. Identical on day two after being refrigerated overnight. Find this wine

2000 R. & V. Dauvissat, Chablis Les Clos:
The only other wine I have tasted where, once the glass was empty, the aroma was more intense, was the 1945 Latour – this is sensational with lemon-skin candy on the nose, depth, character and balance in the mouth and a finish that is . . . well, like only one other wine. The perfect Chablis experience and as good a showing of a chardonnay based wine as I have had. 13% abv. Find this wine

2006 Fattoria l’Ottavo, Bianco Toscana Lucolena:
11% alcohol, slightly bitter, crisp white wine; good with food, not especially so without. $6. Find this wine

2007 Dönnhoff, Riesling Qba Estate:
With tofu, vegetables and green curry, this was exquisite. Demi-sec, flinty, some cherries, a delicate delivery and a very long finish. 10% alcohol and delicious. Find this wine

2007 Biggio Hamina, Pinot Blanc:
Almost saline at first but turning more to carambola and ripe pear flavors with air, balanced acidity, good concentration and some interesting nuance (including a touch of bitterness); medium length. A couple months ago this was pretty innocuous and a touch sweet but today it shows complexity and relates much better to food. Nice wine. Find this wine

2006 Dettori, Bianco Badde Nigolosu:
Vermentino from vines over 80 years old; I am guessing this is a skin contact fermentation as this has the color of cider and the aromatics of a Gravner or Radikon type wine. Somewhat flat in the mouth but with considerable flavor in the lemon, almond, mineral range, concentrated and slightly oxidized. Odd but not unpleasant but I would chose very carefully what food I opened it with. Find this wine

2006 Fillaboa, Albariño, Selectión Finca Monte Alto:
Spicy, licorice/resin, peach, lemon drop, medium intensity nose with mineral accents; broad in the mouth with considerable minerality, flavors echo the nose with salt and nutmeg tones, a fairly richly textured delivery, good acidity; remarkably long. Few Albariño approach this level of concentration and complexity. Do Ferreiro’s, Cepas Vellas does, but I can’t think of another. And this was only $17 whereas the Cepas is $38. Find this wine

2001 Guffens-Heynen, Mâcon Pierreclos – Le Chavigne:
Closed on day one – left overnight on the counter without being stoppered; fabulous on day two with rich, complex scents and flavors, no sign of oxidation and length to burn. A fabulous bottle opened way too soon. Find this wine

2001 Domaine Roally, Mâcon-Viré-Clessé Tradition:
Some RS but not enough to throw off the balance of this wine; pure, clean, ripe chardonnay with lots of terroir coming through. Lovely now. Find this wine

2006 Badde Nigolosu, Dettori Bianco:
Brass colored; the nose is all grapefruit and pith, flowers, ginger ale and mineral; much the same in the mouth with a bright but concentrated delivery and considerable nuance; good length. Superb with grilled chicken, caramelized onions and Caesar salad. Find this wine

2004 Quintarelli, Bianco Secco:
Much more developed than on release with a nose and palate much like good Soave; a little citrus and some floral elements as accent. ‘Makes me wonder if another 3 or 4 years will make an even bigger difference. Find this wine

2006 Peter Michael, Sauvignon Blanc L’Après-Midi:
Tropical fruit nose with some citrus hints (no grassiness); full and round in the mouth with flavors that echo the nose, satin texture; good length. Alcoholic and ever so slightly kissed with oak – even so, I like it. Find this wine

2007 Marqués de Castilla, La Mancha (Bianco):
100% airén, 12% alcohol and about $8; moderately intense nose of lychee, resin and pear; much more powerful in the mouth, full bodied and strongly flavored with the dominant flavor being lychee, some pear, spice and mineral, bright acidity, quite concentrated, texturally smooth until the finish where it sort of mimics the elements of a ginger ale aftertaste; good sustain. Never had a wine from this grape before; this is both pretty and potent. Find this wine

2007 Domaine des Cadastres, Picpoul de Pinet:
13% from the Languedoc and about $8. Floral, unripe pineapple, apricot and white grapes on both the nose and palate; medium body, balanced acidity, some white pepper on a mouthwatering finish. Diane and I agree; a very nice little lunch wine. Find this wine

2008 Luigi Bosca, Torrentés Finca La Linda:
Jasmine is the overwhelming smell and flavor – almost to the point of being off-putting; some citrus blossom and green apple with good acids and a medium length finish. I have had better versions of torrentés and at $15, this doesn’t measure up. Find this wine

2007 Masi, Maisanco:
75% pinot grigio vinted in stainless, 25% verduzzo vinted in oak after drying several weeks on racks; 13% alcohol and about $14. Clear and pale yellow with green glints; smells mostly of citrus and apricot; tastes similar but with more complexity as apple and honey tones appear and some mineral; medium length with a slightly bitter finish. Diane likes it (which of course, is all I ever need to know) so we will buy more; as it so happens, I like it, too. Excellent with grilled chicken, roasted peppers, braised fennel and grilled olive bread with EVOO. And a pretty sipper by itself. Find this wine

2005 Château d’Epiré, Savennieres:
A cabbage and white bean dish this evening matched well with this wine; not especially aromatic but what was there was citrus, dried flowers and mineral; light bodied but moderately intense in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose, not any wool or lanolin tones but some quince and apricot; medium length finish. Maybe the nicest thing about this wine is how well balanced and open it was. A really good time to try a bottle if you have access. And quite good with the dish. About $15. Find this wine

2006 Domaine de la Fruitière, Muscadet Cuvée Petit M:
12% alcohol and about $10; fresh citrus and saline nose; not especially deep but solid fruit with rainwater, citrus and sea shell accents, decent volume and intensity and a very pretty and long finish. This may be slightly closed at the moment but its also lip-smackingly delicious and very nice with a pasta and olive dish. Find this wine

2007 Do Ferreirio, Albariño Cepas Vellas:
Day one: closed and tight with a shy nose but a palate that seems loaded but pent-up. Good Albariño character but not the depth or intensity that one expects from this bottling.
Day two: more depth and concentration showing but not enough to get a good read. Others with experience think this even better than the 2006 (which is extraordinary in my book) but the jury is still out for me. Hold. Find this wine

2007 Edmunds St. John, Heart of Gold:
54% grenache blanc, 46% vermentino and 13.3% alcohol.
Day one: although not fully open, much more so than three months ago; this is bright, moderately complex and a terrific wine with food.
Day two: more of the same but still not all it has. Drink or hold. Find this wine

2005 Daniel Dampt, Chablis Côte de Léchet:
Day one: quiet but typical Chablis nose; layered, exotic fruit flavors that are rich, deep and honeyed, steely, crisp and long. Seems somewhat closed but what is showing is absolutely delicious and characteristic of this vineyard.
Day two: more open aromatically but much more mineral driven – an almost salty element in the mouth, good fruit, intensity and concentration; considerable length. A superb wine from a producer that uses only stainless, hand harvests, keeps yields low and is aggressive with triage. This has the stuffing to age, its 13% alcohol, $30 (including shipping) and has a quality to price ratio that is becoming difficult to find in Chablis. Drink or hold. Find this wine

1999 Nigl, Riesling Hochäcker:
Way too fresh to be a decade old; smells of tangerine skin, rainwater and citrus; its dry, textural, intensely flavored to echo the nose and has a tang to it that I find often in Austrian riesling; exceedingly long and that tang is reiterated on the finish which has a slight pithy/resin quality to it. A very good wine that is still youthful, concentrated and balanced but shows an integration borne of its years. 13% alcohol and about $18, back in the day. Find this wine

2004 Domaine Pepière, Muscadet Clos des Briords VV:
Day one: citrus, oyster shell and a hint of pickle juice on the nose; crisp and bright with flavors that follow the nose; some depth, intense; very long. More closed than expected but still good stuff.
Day two: so much better; clean, balanced and precise with crystalline flavors, a somewhat feminine delivery but great length. Falls a heartbeat short of the ’05 Pepière, Granite de Clisson, but just. $13 on release and 12% alcohol. Hold. Find this wine

2005 Domaine de l’Ecu, Muscadet Expression de Garanite:
Very bright, juicy and fresh fruit smells and flavors backed with a peppery spice and mineral backbone; all delivered as though on the snap of a whip. This is a tremendous bottle of wine, has lots of years to go but shows beautifully now. 12% alcohol and about $17, on release. Find this wine

2005 Tribut, Chablis Côte de Lechet:
Has richened and become more strongly flavored since the end of last year. Steely aromatics but more depth and complexity in the mouth; immense length. I’m guessing this is just starting to reveal its core of concentrated fruit. Very energetic and excellent with grilled chicken. About $26, delivered. Find this wine

1999 Nigl, Grüner Veltliner, Piri Privat:
The texture of a big viognier but the precision of a fine riesling; a wine of contradictions, fleshy and cerebral; showing well but no secondary development; intensity and concentration yet no flab or diffusion; endless finish. 13.5% alcohol, about $23, on release. Find this wine

2002 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allées VV:
Harmonious, crisp, complex, deep and just the slightest bit thinning; a wonderful wine that is either coming the end of its peak or beginning to close down – frankly, I think the former. One of the very best white wines in my cellar for the last seven years, I’d recommend drinking this sooner rather than later. Still lovely and charming but starting to turn a corner. 12% alcohol and about $7 on sale, several years ago. Find this wine

2007 Jermann, Vinnae:
Mostly ribolla gialla with small amounts of tocai and riesling; 12.5% alcohol, screw cap and about $25.
Day one: lemon, mineral and herb aromatics; fairly full in the mouth with flavors that echo the nose, a distinct tang and a tactile sensation that comes up just short of tannin; a quite long and lightly bitter finish. Reminds me a little of greco but without the resinous qualities. Probably a bit closed at the moment but indicative of character, concentration and purity. Exceptional with food.
Day two: pretty much the same – perhaps a little more open but I think this could use a year or two (or more). Find this wine

2005 Grosset, Riesling Polish Hill:
13% alcohol, under screw cap and about $20, on sale.
This is one of the most powerful dry rieslings I’ve tasted. It has the concentration of a Zind-Humbrecht without the weight. Angular coming out of the bottle and showing very young but it turns fuller and more fruit driven with a creamy texture as it airs – it has plenty of structure, stuffing and acidity. Probably will age longer than I’ll live and be approachable all along the way. Find this wine

2005 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allées:
Beautiful wine; bright, charming, flavorful and so clean; as balanced and precise a Muscadet as one can find and drinking well now. Find this wine

2008 Bedrock, Cuvée Caritas:
55% old vine semillon and 45% sauvignon blanc in 100% new French oak; powerfully scented with white fruit, spice and vanilla tones; an almost lyrical presentation in the mouth with semillon flavors emphasized and a touch of butterscotch oak; long finish. Needs 3-5 years to integrate the wood (although its not intrusive now) and was delicious with chicken Caesar salad.
Day two: much the same; this either has too much oak or it needs time to integrate. Find this wine

2007 Quinto de Ventozelo, Douro Cisterda da Ribeira:
A Portuguese white made from 30% códega, 30% gouveio, 20% viosinho and 20% rabigato; 13% alcohol; aromas of cream soda, citrus skin and white pepper; similar in the mouth with some unripe apricot and a light saline component added, spicy, smoothly textured but crackling acidity; a touch bitter on a very long finish. This wine is all about its acidity – it carries it and drives it but does not overwhelm it. Very good with a white bean and chard dish, pretty good on its own and well worth buying again at $7. Find this wine

2007 Ameztoi, Getariako Txakolina:
Fizzy, 10.5% alcohol from the Basque region of Spain; akin to Cava but having a more mineral backbone, less bubbles and very dry fruit flavors. A starter wine but pretty good with assorted cheeses. Thirst quenching. Find this wine

2005 Pépière, Muscadet Granite de Clisson:
The longer this spends in bottle the more defined and precise it gets. Still, plenty of flesh and depth with an individual character that is at once unique yet of its place, perfect balance, concentrated and quite integrated even with its remarkable complexity. Crisp, cool and captivating; one of the finest white wines in the world. $20 on release and about 12.5% alcohol. Find this wine

2005 Pieropan, Soave La Rocca:
For a wine that sees wood, I could barely pick-up any influence – which, for me, is a good thing. Golden in color; powerfully scented and intense in the mouth, this wine will probably outlive me. But it was also delicious with a dish of pasta with smoked salmon, artichokes and fava beans in a light cream sauce. In this vintage, this bottling is very, very good. Find this wine

2002 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Excelsior Terroir de Schistes:
Complex and clean nose with lots of bright aromas and focused scents; similar in the mouth but with more breadth and concentration; good length. More mineral/earth in the mouth but less precise than the Granite de Clisson but very similar in texture and depth. Perfect with Bún chả (chicken). About $20, although I got this on sale for less. Find this wine

2006 Louis Michel, Petit Chablis:
Reticent nose; slightly herbaceous (dried herbs – not green) and a touch thin but otherwise, fairly representative village-type Chablis; surprising length. The length makes me think this could use a year or two in bottle but its tasty now. Done entirely in stainless; screwcap. About $20. Find this wine

2003 Château Réal D’Or, Côtes de Provence:
Made of marsanne, grenache blanc and picpoul, 12.5% alcohol and about $6; slightly tired nose with a hint of oxidation; much the same in the mouth, lacking freshness, solid flavors and medium length. Past it – ‘might have been nice on release but it isn’t worth the calories. Find this wine

2008 Anakena, Sauvignon Blanc:
13% alcohol, from Chili and about $7; smells of perm solution and tastes acidulated – other then that, it’s tolerable but barely. Find this wine

2008 Carpineto, Dodajolo Blanc:
12.5% alcohol; 40% chardonnay, 30% grechetto, 30% sauvignon blanc; fresh and citrusy on the nose with a hint of chardonnay richness; bright, concentrated and not quite of a piece in the mouth with a tart note, good balance and a mouth-watering finish. Integrates with air and becomes smoother. Matches pasta with pesto as well as any wine could. About $10. Find this wine

2007 Quinta de Ventozelo, Cister de Ribeira:
A white from the Douro made of almost equal parts códega, gouveio, viosinho and rabigato, 13% alcohol; almost clear in color; citrus and limestone aromas; very crisp and a touch bitter in the mouth with bright, precise flavors, good concentration and intensity, excellent balance and a finish that leaves me feeling like I just took a shower. Diane made an asparagus, quinoa, fresh tomato dish and this went with it quite well. A quintessential refresher wine for summer that is better than you bargain for. Buy it by the case. About $8. Find this wine

2006 Colonial Estate, Semillon Reserve Expatrié:
Well fruited nose with hints of stone and no musk tones; over-ripe but not sugary, pineapple flavors, no musk, solid acidity and nice balance; excellent length. I usually find too much musk in semillon vinted by itself and rarely buy it, but I tasted this in a store and was pleasantly surprised. ‘Bought a bottle to have with a dish of pasta, zucchini and basil in a parmesan cream sauce and found it delicious and a good match. 13.5% alcohol and about $15. Find this wine

2007 Guy Saget, Muscadet:
About $11 and pretty non-descript – when there are so many good Muscadet around, this is a waste. Find this wine

2007 Drouhin, Saint Veran:
Around $18 (I’m trying to convert euro to dollars in my head – bad craziness) and shockingly delicious. Clean, pure scents and flavors, moderate complexity and an after-taste that makes me want more. Just plain yummy. Find this wine

2007 Drouhin, Chablis:
Tight when first opened but it got going after about a half an hour; crisp, stony, of its place and mouth-watering. Very nice wine for less than $25. Find this wine

N/V Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde Branco:
Bright, dry, lightly spritzy and transparent; freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and stones; 10% abv and $6 – I shall buy a great deal of this. Find this wine

2007 Matrot, Meursault (375 ml):
Screw-capped, $10 and so much better than the price suggests. Lots of stuffing, good complexity, flint and nuts amidst taut chardonnay fruit. Excellent and what a deal! Find this wine

2007 Edmund Vatan, Sancerre Clos la Néore:
Decanted about an hour; I feel a little helpless in describing truly great wine – its as though this rises above its sauvignon blanc variety, and it rises above its Sancerre appellation, to become Vatan – the unique and dazzling expression of the mix of variety, site and a lifetime of work and excellence. It’s tight and gives every evidence of being a several decade wine and yet, the scent, structure and flavor are precise, fresh, complex and balanced to such a degree that I stop eating just to concentrate on the taste. And I find myself waiting longer than I would have expected to pick up my fork again – this doesn’t just finish, it resonates for a time after swallowing. Nothing flamboyant here; no big, plush texture or blockbuster impression – it is controlled yet expansive; soulful, in a way that transcends the written word. And, as luck would have it, I found it at $35/bottle when it is often near twice that. Oh my! Find this wine

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