Kelly, Alan and Kevin's Excellent Adventure
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure 2016 VILLA D’ESTE WINE SYMPOSIUM - KELLY, ALAN AND KEVIN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE - Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt (11/3/2016-11/12/2016) Unlike last year, I was able to commit to the wine symposium at Villa D”Este relatively early on. This year, I invited a few of my wine drinking friends and Alan Strauss was able to join. Both of my flights were slightly delayed but no major issues. I met up with Marie Ahm at the airport and we got picked up by a brand new Maserati Levante! Upon checking in, I was speechless when I entered my room. 11/3/2016 - Lunch at Conca Bella I was joined by Alan and Kelly. We debated various lunch options. Since we had an incredible lunch at Conca Bella in Vacallo, Switzerland a few years back, we got a car to take us there. We arrived with a great deal of excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, the restaurant wine list was no where near what it once was. The sommelier explained that the business has been slow for a few years and since the passing of the owner, they liquidated a big portion of the cellar. At least we were able to get a pasta with a copious amount of white truffle which brought back smiles. • 2012 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Pinot Bianco Sanct Valentin - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (11/3/2016) Big scale wine, ripe yellow fruit, lemon, pineapple and steely mineral. Quite ripe but with piercing acidity and good mineral presence. For my palate, Alsatian Pinot Blanc but 1% more alcohol as the sugar is converted into alcohol. (91 pts.) • 2010 Braida (Giacomo Bologna) Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti (11/3/2016) Not your father's Barbera. Expressive nose displaying dark cherry fruit, fruit cake, cherry pie, baking spice and scorched earth. Excellent concentration, intense slightly dark fruit driven palate impression, mouth puckering acidity and mineral expression, and a long finish with a hint of ash at the end. (93 pts.) 11/3/2016 - Prestige Tasting 1 - Syrah It was the first of three prestige tastings. The tasting was lead by Marie Ahm, a beautiful Danish wine expert. It was a blind comparative tasting to demonstrate the different expression of Syrah from around the world. I don’t do too many blind tastings but it is something that I have done well in the past. It was nice to be able to correctly guess the wines that I am familiar with. • 2014 Martin Waßmer Dottinger Castellberg Syrah trocken - Germany, Baden (11/3/2016) Classic cool climate syrah. Medium expressive nose displaying cool blue fruit, tapenade and pepper. Medium body, cool blue fruit, bright acidity, nice mineral expression, noticeable but fine tannins and a clean cool finish. Very nice northern rhone style of Syrah. Initially thought Jamet but not as layered. So one of the cool climate syrahs is my guess. (92 pts.) • 2013 Castell d’Encús Costers del Segre Thalarn - Spain, Catalunya, Costers del Segre (11/3/2016) Very ripe black fruit driven nose, a bit stinky, fruit cake and earth. Good concentration, pretty straightforward palate impression. The overall expression is monolithic. (83 pts.) • 2013 Muhr-van der Niepoort Syrah Sydhang - Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum (11/3/2016) Expressive nose displaying opulent black fruit, smoke, white pepper and mineral. Good concentration and good overall balance. Seems European. (93 pts.) • 2012 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (11/3/2016) What can I say, Cayuse funk! Ripe yet cool, almost rhone but way too kinky. Cannabis and scorched earth. My guess is Cayuse. (94 pts.) • 2011 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (11/3/2016) Classic old school tapenade, ash and a hint of green nose which leads me to Jamet. Medium concentration, nicely layered fruit, very good balance and fine tannins. (93 pts.) • 2011 Sine Qua Non Syrah Dark Blossom - USA, California, Central Coast (11/3/2016) Big, ripe, coconut, cocoa power and sweet spices. Also luxurious oak as some like to say. Has to be SQN. Ripe, concentrated but not heavy. (95 pts.) • 2012 Domaine des Ouleb Thaleb Syrah Tandem - Morocco, Meknès-Fès (11/3/2016) Ripe, hot weather Syrah. Backed black fruit, cherry liqueur, and monolithic. The palate is clumsy. A bit of mess. (85 pts.) • 2011 Gilles Besse Syrah Cayas - Switzerland, Valais, Vétroz (11/3/2016) Cool mineral driven syrah, coffee, black pepper and mineral. Medium weight, good balance but not terribly complex. Very enjoyable. (92 pts.) • 2012 Martin Waßmer Dottinger Castellberg Syrah trocken - Germany, Baden (11/3/2016) Expressive nose displaying cool black fruit, strong presence of white pepper, cannabis and mineral. Very good concentration, nicely layered cool fruit and a long pepper driven finish. Excellent expression of Syrah. My guess is a Swiss. Excellent showing. (94 pts.) • 2004 David Traeger Shiraz - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley (11/3/2016) A lot of dry black fruit and mint. It feels obvious that this has to be the Australian Shiraz. Exceptional concentration but monolithic. (88 pts.) • 2010 Montes Syrah Folly La Finca de Apalta - Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (11/3/2016) A big scale wine but with cool expression. Taste a bit like a big scale domestic Shiraz but a bit too clean and monolithic. If you like a concentrated style of syrah, this has to be a good option. (92 pts.) • 2001 Le Macchiole Scrio Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11/3/2016) Noticeable mint, also tobacco. The overall expression is a bit monolithic. (86 pts.) 11/3/2016 - BYOB dinner For the past ten years attending the wine symposium at Villa D’este, I have made a few close European drinking friends. Now, we always sit together and share our wines. In the past, most Napa wines were mostly dismissed by my European friends. It was surprising that the 74 Louis Martini was liked by many. I found the 07 Riserva Falletto slightly uninspiring. • 2010 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru (11/3/2016) Expressive dense nose displaying sweet and sour ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, pineapple, mineral, spicy spices and a hint of oak. Exceptional concentration, lemon oil and lemon curd driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long spicy finish with a hint of oak at the end. This is a very ripe slightly new worldesque Burgundy. • 1998 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (11/3/2016) Oxidized/premoxed. NR (flawed) • 2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/3/2016) Very mineral driven nose displaying slightly oxidized apple juice, lemon, oyster jus and rain water. Medium concentration, a hint of spritz, strong presence of mineral and a medium long mineral driven finish. In a bit of an awkward stage and not sure how it will develop. (90 pts.) • 1967 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (11/3/2016) The cork dropped 1/4 inch and leaked a bit during the trip. I suspect the cork wasn't tight for sometime as the wine is madeirized. • 1978 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11/3/2016) Fragile nose, mostly faded fruit, a hint of dry cherry, smoke, leather and scorched earth. Fully resolved a bit fragile palate, mostly tertiary palate impression, noticeable acidity and a medium, slightly acidic finish. Needs to be drunk up. (89 pts.) • 2013 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru (11/3/2016) Very pretty warm nose, sweet red fruit, stem, spicy and a hint of truffle salt. Very harmonious palate, bright red fruit, warm and round, perfect amount of acidity, silky tannins and a lovely long finish that ends with a hint of stem. Really pretty wine that is quite approachable but will age beautifully. (93 pts.) • 2008 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (11/3/2016) This nicely reflects the 08 vintage, very pure and pretty, slightly lean and energetic. Medium expressive nose displaying bright sweet red fruit, strawberry candy, limestone, coffee, sweet spices, sap a hint of toasted oak. Medium body, quite precise and detailed, delicate sweet candied red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a clean medium mineral driven finish. Very good showing. (93 pts.) • 2007 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (11/3/2016) I have no clue what happened. En double magnum. Strong baked fruit nose, dark spices, tree bark, rose, anise and earth. Very tight palate, fruit cake driven palate impression. Is the wine going through an awkward stage? Not so sure. (92 pts.) • 1986 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (11/3/2016) Another LLC that is way too young. A classic LLC nose, intense cassis, ink, ash and lead pencil. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, youthful intense cassis fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, nicely integrated sweet tannins and an incredibly long finish. It is drinking well in very youthful ways but will need another ten to twenty years to show a bit more tertiary elements. Impressive showing. (96 pts.) • 2009 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Domaine Prince Florent de Merode - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru (11/3/2016) Expressive nose displaying cool yet opulent blue fruit, cinnamon, cedar, a hint of cigarette ash, tea and lavender.