Pullin' Corks

We are posting new notes and recent reviews nearly every day.  This page has been requested to help people identify those new items added to the site or find recently reviewed wines.  Though we taste in an organized way every Friday morning those notes are posted as the taster turns them in and we find time.  We also taste incidentally through out the week and those notes will be added too.  So you can expect to see new items often.

Louis Michel Petit Chablis 2007 and Drouhin Domaine Vaudon Chablis Reserve 2008
Good LORD! Since Petit Chablis can come from just about any of the lesser parcels of Chablis, we can usually expect a simple, inoffensive white wine or at worse a mean and thin white wine whose acidity verges on shrill and sharp; and little better for villages Chablis.  You've read me going on about the 2008 wines from the premier and grand cru, how could I possibly say more?  Hold tight, these "little" Chablis are totally yummy.   Try both of these braggin' bargain wines.
Wine Revuew by LAC.  July 2010
(posted on 7/30/2010)

Gaillard St. Joseph "Les Pierres" 2007
I've tasted this wine three times; once in France before it was bottled and twice since it arrived.  I'm always trepidacious tasting a wine the first time after it arrives; will it be as good as I remember.  I had the highest hopes for this wine as I had found it stunning.  I was relieved and delighted that it was as exciting as I recalled it being.  The nose is unusual for St. Joseph and all the prettier for it, lots of black fruit and violets and clove.  There is a rush of juicy fruit in the mouth that makes one very happy.  The texture is fine, glossy.  The most elegant St. Joseph I've ever tasted.
Wine Review by LAC.  July 2010
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(posted 7/7/2010)

Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc 2009
I love to be able to write a glowing review of a Pedroncelli wine; not just because John and, especially, Jim are friends but because more than any California winery in our portfolio Pedroncelli represents what good wines one can buy for very little money.  The just released 2009 vintage of Sauvignon blanc is a premier example.  We tasted twenty-six good wines this morning and this is the wine that stood out;.  Any wine to stand above such a group must have incredible balance; without this the flavours, the acids, the finish will not be compelling, will not intrigue the palette.  Here the flavours are pretty ripe melon and fig without losing their edge.  You owe it to yourself to try this.
Wine Review by LAC.  7/2/2010
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(posted 7/2/2010)

Fevre Chablis Les Preuses 2008 and 2007 and 2002
What a treat!  Three wonderful vintages side by side of my favorite Grand Cru Chablis vineyard, Les Preuses.  Okay, many will claim the much admired Les Clos is far and away the best vineyard in Chablis and if you scroll down this page you'll find my notes for the 2008 Les Clos over which I flipped; the only Les Clos I've ever purchased for my own cellar.  Still I'm unabashedly a Les Preuses fan.

The 2008 charmed me.  Admittedly, I was prepared to be charmed 'cause the 2008's are like that.  They are not  'vin de garde" which I think the 2007's are but rather wines that will reach their version of maturity retaining an innocent 'let me please you aren't I wonderful to drink' attitude.  It was key lime custard, lemon grass and minerality.

The 2007 is a statesman; lean in the way that makes an Armani suit look so good.  In no particular hurry to please but graciously promising.  There is a lot of the sea in this wine; salinity and shellfish.  If the 2008 is a Lab puppy, the 2007 is a Siamese cat; not nearly as concern with making you love it.

The 2002 was from my cellar.  It was showing beautifully.  Would I expect the wine to get much better, no; still is was not in any way fatigued.  I will begin drinking my remaining bottles unhurriedly but as occasion allows.  There was a creaminess to the wine and an ethereal spice balancing on its retained minerality.
Wine Review by LAC.  6/28/2010
Read more or Buy Wine Online 2007
Read more or Buy Wine Online 2008
(posted 6/28/2010)

Shaya 2009
The Verdejo grapes for the 2009 Shaya are sourced from both estate vineyards and local growers with vine age ranging from 75-112 years. The wine was barrel-fermented and aged on its lees.  Medium straw-colored, if offers up an alluring aroma of baking spices, spring flowers, and peach. On the palate it has a creamy texture, vibrant acidity, and intense flavors leading to a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It is a great value in dry, aromatic white wine that over-delivers in a big way.  91 points
Wine Review by Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate.  4/27/2010
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(posted 6/14/2010)

Alto Moncayo Veraton 2007
The entry-level 2007 Veraton is 100% estate-grown Garnacha aged for 17 months in new French and American oak before bottling without filtration. Deep crimson-colored, it has a sexy nose of smoke, spice box, lavender, black cherry, and black raspberry that wafts from the glass. Full-bodied on the palate with layers of succulent red and black fruit, it is balanced, pure, and lengthy. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. The vocal low-alcohol crowd will have disdain for this wine; those who enjoy big, powerful, in-your-face wine will love it.
Wine Review by Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate  4/27/2010   92 points
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(posted 6/14/2010)

Racauderie Vouvray 2006 
Yes, 2006!  Most of you are saying “hey, you should be on the 2009”.  NOT!  If you’ve been tasting the Racauderie wines all along you know how beautifully they show their age – the Katherine Hepburn of Vouvrays.  We reserved this wine 3 years ago fully intending to ship it now.

Lovely aromas; ferns in the rain, honeycomb and ripe pitted white fruits.  Bright juicy flavours of lavender and frozen melon balls followed by a lovely polished finish.  You'll rethink Vouvray.-
Wine Review by LAC.  June, 2010
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(posted 6/07/2010)

Barraud Pouilly Fuisse “La Roche” 2008
I’m very enthusiastic about the 2008 French white wines.  Come on now!?, one might say to such a broad declaration.  I know I would.  But, yes, I am enthusiastic over whites throughout France.  The only region I haven’t tasted broadly is Alsace but if German whites are any indicator I’m equally confident about those wines.

Barraud’s wines, he only makes whites, are the best I’ve tasted in years which is saying something ‘cause his wines are always among the best of the region.  The “La Roche” has a nose of baked apples, lemon custard and is punctuated by citrus zest.  In the mouth I find it atypical of Pouilly Fuisse, even Barruad’s.  Its texture and structure reminds one of a Javillier Meursault but with more minerality; it is quite vibrant, almost racy.  Spectacular wine. - Wine Review by LAC.  June, 2010
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(posted 6/04/2010)

Hofer Zweigelt Rose 2009 
Wil just brought a glass of this to my desk.  Its arrived only today so no chance to rest but its showing no worse for the wear.  Wil and I both fell in love with Zweigelt and Zweigelt rose during our visits to Hungary.  Hofer is, of course, Austrian. 

The wine is a very pretty pink, very light, very brilliant.  The nose is mostly a simple vinous character right now but a bit of rest will resolve that… there are promises of roses and peaches.  Off-dry, which Wil and I agree is best for Zweigelt as a rose.  The flavours are delicate as well leaving a resonating papaya and strawberry to heave and swell (clearly I'm a frustrates romance novel writer) upon the waves of lively minerals and acidity.  A real charmer! - Wine Review by LAC.  June, 2010
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(posted 6/02/2010)

We're tasting a lot of 2009 rose as they arrive and I'll add those notes soon but the new issue of Decanter Magazine, the preeminent English wine publication, reviewed Rose Champagne.  Here is their take on a couple of ours.

Bruno Paillard Rose Premier Cru
A restrained and yeasty style of rose with a pale onion skin colour.  Made mostly from Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay, it shows plenty of red apple fruit and has a fresh appealing floral note on the nose.
- Wine Review by Susie Barris MW.  Decanter, June 2010.  18 of 20 points.
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(posted 5/24/2010)

Henriot Brut Rose
In true Henriot fashion this is a sytlish and highly drinkable rose.  Mid-salmon in colour, it shows red and black summer berry fruit fruit aromas along with hints of creamy, autolytic depth.  not as complex as some but refined and elegant all the same.
- Wine Review by Susie Barris MW.  Decanter, June 2010.  18 of 20 points.
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(posted 5/24/2010)

Parker's notes on our 2007 Vintage Port

Warre Vintage Port 2007
93 points - The 2007 Warre Vintage Port is one of the stars of the vintage.  A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays an expressive bouquet of Asian spices, incense, lavender, blackberry and fruitcake.  Plush on the palate with outstanding volume, it exhibits a sense of elegance as well as power.  Savory flavors, plenty of structure for the long haul, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish suggests two decades of cellaring are in order.  This superb effort should be drinking well in 2050.
-Wine Review by Dr. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate, Issue 187.
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(posted 5/18/2010)

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2007
94 points - The 2007 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port is a star of the vintage.  Dense purple-colored, it give up an already complex aromatic array of lavender, Asian spices, insense, amd an amalgam of black fruits with a hint of chocolate in the background.  Plush and mouth-filling, this large-scaled Port manages an uncanny blending of elegance and power.  Long and savory in the finish, it will continue to blossom for another 20+ years and drink well through its 50th birthday if not longer.
-Wine Review by Dr. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate, Issue 187.
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(posted 5/18/2010)

Gould Campbell Vintage Port 2007
91 points - The 2007 Gould Campbell Vintage Port reveals a saturated purple color and brooding bouquet of violets, Asian spices, earth notes, and compote of black fruits.  Elegant and savory in the mouth, this is a stylish Port that will evole for a decade and offer prime drinking from 2017 to 2030.
-Wine Review by Dr. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate, Issue 187.
Read more or Buy Wine Online(posted 5/18/2010)

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Year's Best Sauvignon blanc - Wine Enthusiast Magazine May 2010
Green apple and green herb scents give this wine it's cut.  Its spicy and firm in the middle with lovely, juicy lime flavor.  Delicious with Nanticket Bay scallops on the half-shell or spicy grilled shrimp.
92 points.
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(posted 5/14/2010)

Haut Noel Gamay 2009
Unlike Les Clos (see below), I always like this wine.  To be sure sometimes more sometimes less; in the 2008 it is definitely more, a lot more.  This is an aside for us.  It is from our Muscadet producer and we buy it depending on what Beaujolais is like in the vintage.  Most people recognize gamay as Beaujolais.  This is as it should be; it is here that the terriors nudge the nuances out of the varietal.  In Loire gamay is all grins and giggles; like a little niece or nephew wants to tell you a secret then gives you the raspberries right in your ear.  Speaking of raspberries, that’s the lively flavour of this wine.  A fun, terrific quaffer for the whole of summer. – Wine Review by LAC
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(posted on 5/12/2010)

 Fevre Chablis Les Clos 2008
  It would be heresy in Chablisien circles to declare Les Clos an emperor without clothes but I am that boy; rarely fond of this most famous Grand Cru.  However, 2008 is a vintage for Les Clos; resplendent in all its fabled finery.  I tasted three vintners’ 2008 Les Clos during a visit in March.  It was eye opening.
  The Fevre is now in the warehouse.  We bought far more than we would usually because this is such a special wine, a Les Clos for the ages.  The fragrance is ethereal, citrus zest and cold tangerine juices adorning the classic Les Clos stoniness like soft moss on a river rock.  Hugely substantive in the mouth without being weighty, finely textured.  The flavours flow like a sonnet mimicking the fragrances but with macerated lemon grass and basil besides; astounding minerality.
  I bought a case for my own cellar.  Is it expensive?  Of course, it’s Les Clos but pound of pleasure per Pound Sterling this wine is bargain.  A Chablis of a lifetime. – Wine Review by LAC  May 2010
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(posted 5/11/2010)

Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2008
This is a wine we've always, always run out of.  Sometimes, only sometimes, is success rewarded.  The winery has given us a substantially bigger allocation of the 2008 release. Again it gets raves from the critics.
"Bodegas Borsao has long been known for high quality, yalue-priced wines and the currant releases are no exception.  The flagship of the program is the perennially outstanding Tres Picos.  The 2008 Tres Picos is 100% Garnacha old vines in which 50% was aged in tank and 50% in French oak for 10 months.  It gives up a compleelling nose of black cherry fruit that jumps out of the glass along with earth and mineral notes.  Plush on the palate bordering on voluptuous, this pleasure-bent, full-flavored effort will drink well over the next 3-4 years althought few will be able to resist its charms for that long."
Wine Review by JM, Wine Advocate Issue 188. 4-27-2010
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(posted 5/8/2010)

Verason Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Firm, intense and marked by complex loamy earth, spice, dried currant, sage and mineral.  Full-bodied and intense, a touch rustic on the midpalate with a dense, layered finish.  Drink now through 2020."-
Wine Review by JL, The Wine Spectator
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(posted 5/5/2010)

Paitin Barbera Serra Boella 2008
Ripe aromas of red fruit, currants and blackberries.  Some toasty notes.  Beautiful acid componant that shouts Italy.  This wine literally makes your mouth water.  Let's eat!
- Wine Review by JN, April 2010
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(posted 4/27/2010)

Ramirez de la Piscina Crianza Rioja 2005
Spicy tobacco and cherry open onto aromas of cedar and wood spice.  Tangy, gently tannic and fragrant in the mouth, the telling Riojan wood spice reveals how some classics are best left unaltered.  Ramirez de la Piscina always captures those of us who want true Rioja with its dusty earthen depths and high toned spiced fruits and heady aromas that bring to mind picnics beside a stand of cedar trees.  You will not find oily vanilla or the heavily ripened fruits of modernity; this is Crianza as it was before the carpet baggers spread the fervor of extraction.  Crianza like this recalls better times when the world seemed a larger and less explored –a world in which traditions were not cast off for the latest trend and wines were made to express their place.
- Wine Review by Nicholas Livingston, April 2010                     
Read more or Buy Wine Online(posted on 4/24/2010)

Rocca dei Mori 2004 Salice Salentino, Italy
Follow the long Italian leg down to the heel and you’ve found Apuglia.  Under these Mediterranean conditions, many regions thrive but Salice Salentino reigns supreme among the DOC for its deep reds made from Negroamaro.  “Black bitter” doesn’t translate so well but the wines coming from this variety convey a great spectrum of flavor, depth and complexity.  Rocca dei Mori’s is certainly the most promising for generous development over time in a cellar because of a sure but polished tannin, its panoply of cola spice, oranges, cloves, blue and blackberries.  Juicy acids, mouth filling fruit, high toned spice and a full scented finish, make for a treat now or later.  With 10% Malvasia nera di Lecce and 10% Malvasia nera di Brindisi, Rocca dei Mori’s Salice Salentino possesses more complexity than any strait Negroamaro would otherwise bear.; it’s unlike anything out there and a truly winning experience.
- Wine review by Nicholas D. Livingston
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(posted 4/23/2010)

Chateau Lyonnat Lussac St-Emilion 2005
85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc
This incredible wine could almost serve as a synecdoche for right bank Bordeaux if only more knew its name.  As the most historic property in Lussac St. Emilion, it’s really a wonder that it’s not a household name.  With a penetrating bouquet cedar, spice box and a beguiling plum aroma, the nose could educate one on what the rest along the right bank ought to strive for.  With a lovely structure, this wine embodies how young Bordeaux can weave tannins between berries and plums even in its youth and it glows through the finish in such a way that guarantees a bright future for a good stretch of time.  Hmmm, so there are still values among the Bordelaise!
- Wine Review by Nicholas D. Livingston, Apiril 2010
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(posted 4/21/2010)

Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc 2008
Lang and Reed once again raises the bar with the 2008 Cabernet Franc standing out as complete original without a peer. Year after year Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc leaves me in awe but the 2008 is perhaps the most savory with a nose of a well herbed bisque and brooding fruit -unique to this vintage.  Showing juicy, mouthwatering acidity with dancing agility, 2008 bears capable tannins deftly spiced from black currants, a cheeky mouthfeel and a roasted complexity on the finish that makes me want to head to the market, snap up the best local ingredients and hit the kitchen.
Tasting review by Nicholas Livingston, April 2010
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(posted 4/17/2010)

Von Schleinitz Weissenberg Kabinett Riesling 2007
From this single vineyard property, this delicious Riesling is pure fruit, start to finish.  It's full of juicy fruit, sweet apples, honey and spice.  It's finish is refreshing, though full bodied and not as tart as some.  Probably a good match for spicy Thai chicken.
- Wine Review by CM, April 2010
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(posted 4/13/2010)

Caparzo 2005 Brunello Montalcino
92 Points - "A sweet Pinot-like bouquet leads to perfumed black cherries, spices, licorice and tobacco.  This mid-weight, graceful Brunello offers gorgeous balance with expressive core of fruit that flows through a long, refined close.  The 2005 is one of the best versions of this wine I have tasted in some time."
-Wine Review, The Wine Advocate
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{posted 4/7/2010)